Building on the momentum of last year’s missions to Colombia and Chile, Mines Nancy has returned to Latin America with renewed purpose, strengthening partnerships and uncovering new opportunities for collaboration with these two countries and Peru.
A Strong Presence in Colombia
In Colombia, Mines Nancy reaffirmed its strong connections with universities and students eager to join our programs. Over 40 interviews were held with Colombian students passionate about artificial intelligence, sustainable development, and other cutting-edge fields.
In Bogotá, our team, joined by Assia Tria, Director of Mines-Alès, met with students from the National University of Colombia (UNAL) and participated in a strategic meeting at the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France-Colombie.
The discussions revolved around fostering exchanges, including creating internship opportunities for Mines Nancy students in French companies operating in Colombia.
From there, we moved to Pereira, where interactions with students and staff at the Technological University of Pereira (UTP) highlighted their enthusiasm for international exchange. The journey ended at UNAL’s campus in Medellín, a hub of talent and innovation, where the steady rise in applicants year after year demonstrates Colombia’s strong connection to Mines Nancy.
Advancing Collaborations in Chile
Chile proved to be a rich ground for strengthening academic and research partnerships. At Adolfo Ibáñez University, we discovered a shared commitment to sustainability, reflected in their SDGs (UN Sustainable Development Goals) – based roadmap. Our cooperation has already begun, with one of Mines Nancy’s students pursuing his research internship there at the moment. The colleagues will visit Nancy in January to discuss further collaboration.
The University of Chile, known for its expertise in sustainable mining and nanotechnology, welcomed our team to its Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Here, the focus was on finding ways to combine expertise for impactful research, particularly in sustainable practices for the mining and metallurgy industries.
Industry partners also played a key role in the mission. Meetings with CEA-Liten and Empirica Engineering Consulting opened doors to a future capacity-building project, connecting Chile’s academic excellence with broader regional initiatives.
Breaking New Ground in Peru
For the first time, Mines Nancy extended its mission to Peru, unveiling exciting opportunities for collaboration. With invaluable support from the Ambassade de France au Pérou, visits to leading universities revealed shared priorities in sustainability and technology.
At the National University of Engineering (UNI), one of Peru’s leading public universities, the discussions focused on the shared fields of expertise in green technologies, including lithium batteries, EVs, and green hydrogen. These synergies present excellent opportunities for further research and academic exchanges.
Our next visit was to the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC): this modern, research-driven institution offers great potential for a capacity-building project in sustainable materials, which Mines Nancy plans to launch in 2026. UTEC’s long-standing partnership with the University of Alberta, a key Mines Nancy partner, further strengthens the groundwork for impactful joint projects.
Following this visit, we engaged with the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), ranked as Peru’s top university, which emerged as a natural partner for Mines Nancy sharing the fields of research expertise and a commitment to advancing sustainable materials and energy technologies. One of the PUCP PhD students is currently doing his research at the Institute Jean Lamour in Nancy, allowing stronger connections between our institutions in materials science and sustainability.
Our final destination brought us to the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), a highly regarded private university, which excels in AI, data science, and environmental engineering. Their work in bioremediation and water treatment aligns seamlessly with Mines Nancy’s expertise, offering promising opportunities for research collaborations and student internships.
Empowering Global Engineers
Across all our stops, we proudly promoted the GREENANO Master’s program, which offers competitive scholarships and a cutting-edge curriculum for talented students worldwide. Applications are now open on the website: https://www.greenanomaster.eu/
