SANTIAGO – On June 30th, UC and School of Engineering authorities received representatives from the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations (VREF) and BRT+ Center of Excellence. The purpose of the meeting was to thank the funding and supporting given by VREF to the center for five more years. BRT+ CoE is the only one of ten centers, financed by VREF, that has received this renovation.
In this meeting Ignacio Sánchez, rector of Universidad Católica de Chile, and Henrik Nolmark, director of VREF, were present. Also Juan Carlos Muñoz, director of our center, and the members, Darío Hidalgo and Ignacia Torres, attended. Domingo Mery, subrogant dean, and Ricardo Giesen, director of Departament of Transportation and Logistics, from School of Engineering assisted. Finally, Torbjörn Suneson and Lena Hiselius, members of VREF, also were there.
BRT+ Center of Excellence has been funded by VREF since 2010. Our director Juan Carlos Muñoz said that «this center is the only one of ten, financed by VREF, that has been renewed for a period of five years. So this confirmation of funding makes us feel extremely enthusiastic and honored». On the other hand, representatives of VREF emphasized the strength of the work carried out by the center.
The assistants discussed the main challenges for the next period, for instance, the multidisciplinary nature, multiculturalism and the diverse context that urban interventions must face, such as bus corridors. The priorities and motivations of VREF, as a Swedish foundation that supports the common good and academic alliances that UC is building with various universities in Chile, were also discussed.
Original post by School of Engineering, Universidad Católica de Chile