On January 24th, in 2019, Resident Representative of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Chile, Mr. Ryozo Hanya, visited University of La Frontera (UFRO). UFRO is Project Director of SATREPS MACH project among the four Core Project Members in Chile (link) and has given us much cooperation from the rector down to the administrative offices.
Mr. Hanya talked with Dr. Milko Jorquera (full professor of UFRO and Project Director of MACH project), Dr. Jacquelinne Acuña (associate professor of BIOREN-UFRO and one of the MACH project researchers) and Mr. Ignacio Rilling (the project lab assistant). We explained to Mr. Hanya the commitment of UFRO to this project and the progresses of the project. He also discussed progresses and future tasks at UFRO with assistant professor Dr. So Fujiyoshi and Dr. Mikihiko Kawai who are Japanese researchers of this project from Kyoto University and stay at UFRO.
Mr. Hanya also visited Center of Excellence of Modeling and Scientific Computing (CEMCC) of UFRO and met Dr. Andrés Ávila via internet meeting and Mr. Raphael Verdugo. Dr. Ávila is full professor of CEMCC and one of the MACH project researchers. Mr. Verdugo is the system engineer of the center. Mr. Hanya then visited the server room of CEMCC where a new server funded by this project will be installed. We explained to him that CEMCC updated the web page to tell our collaboration（link）and that CEMCC has made user accounts for their own server available for the members of our project until the server of our project will be installed.
Furthermore, he met Dr. Maria de la Luz Mora, the director of the Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus of UFRO (BIOREN). BIOREN has fully supported our project, including preparation of two offices solely for the Japanese members of our project. During the meeting, Dr. Mora expressed her opinion and expectation about MACH project, such as mediation to universities in Japan which can promote double-degrees with BIOREN or UFRO.
