Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) is one of the first NCSE Member Institutions in the International Network, joining in 2019. UDD is one of the most modern and fast growing universities in Chile. Founded in 1990, it has become one of the best academic institutions in the country for undergraduate, postgraduate, and other studies, and is also recognized for its research centers and programs in several fields. UDD is a dynamic and young university that aims to contribute solutions to society’s problems with quality, security, and efficacy, now and in the future. UDD researchers are involved in high-impact research and adapt effectively in a dynamic international context to attract collaboration from all over the world. UDD aims to achieve strategic alliances with international centers that have a high level of scientific productivity and impact in innovation.
UDD graduates should be able to devise new and different solutions to solve complex problems and address situations with a changing context. UDD future professionals should be driven by the impact of their achievements and be able to lead others as well as collaborate with them. UDD faculty have a strong involvement as experts or members of advisory boards of governmental institutions, such as National Agency of Research and Development, National Commission in Innovation and Development (CNID), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy, and the Chilean delegation for COP21. Faculty also contribute to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) and the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).
At an international level, the university is a member of United Nations Sustainable Development Networks (UNSDN), Network for Business Sustainability, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and International Water Research Association. UDD also contributes to Future Earth, an international research program for global sustainability working on the water-energy-food security nexus.
Did You Know? As part of the Public Responsibility Week, UDD celebrates a “Sustainability Day,” in which students and faculty can learn more of the sustainability initiatives, such as recycling points, solar chargers for mobile devices and special parking for bicycles. In addition, a farmer’s market is held every other week at the campus, where the UDD community can buy fresh vegetables and fruits. UDD has many diverse initiatives that improve the quality of life in the three major dimensions of Sustainable Development: economic, social, and ecological. UDD is the second institution in Chile in The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (second edition), the only global performance tables that assess universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).