Universidad Autónoma de Chile and the Puerto de Ideas Foundation have entered into a strategic collaboration agreement aimed at boosting the Scientific Culture Prize throughout the country, according to cnnchile.com.
This alliance seeks to integrate the capabilities of both institutions to drive initiatives that impact diverse age groups, from children and youth to seniors. The agreement will be managed through the university's Center for Science Communication and the foundation's outreach efforts.
The joint effort will kick off with collaboration on the 2026 edition of the Scientific Culture Prize. The organization will include Paulina Azúa, Head of Education and Community Engagement at the Puerto de Ideas Foundation, as a member of the jury for that edition.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates that at least one finalist from the current edition will be invited to participate in next year's Puerto de Ideas Science Festival.
Expanding science communication
For Isidora Sesnic, director of the Scientific Culture Prize, this partnership represents a concrete step forward with organizations that promote science through various formats. "The Puerto de Ideas Festival is a robust and highly recognized initiative, making this alliance an achievement we are proud of," she stated.
Dr. Iván Suazo, Vice Rector of Research and Doctoral Studies at Universidad Autónoma, emphasized that the strategy aims to ensure that the work of science communicators extends beyond academia. "We are convinced that this agreement provides an unprecedented stage for science communicators in Chile, allowing their work to move beyond the academy and find resonance within the general public," Suerr noted.
The agreement also includes the donation of 90 copies of the bookScientific Culture: Approaches to the Public Communication of Science, published in 2025 by Ediciones Autónoma.
Marcela Colombres Raby, Executive Director of Puerto de Ideas, maintained that the alliance seeks to bring science closer to the people, driven by the conviction that knowledge knows no borders. According to the executive, communicating science is an act of democratization.
The call for entries for the 2026 edition of the Scientific Culture Prize will begin in April.
