These instances allow us to refine thesis ideas in advance, because one structures the idea in a more directed way. Moreover, there is associated funding for projects that have some kind of prototype, so it fits them perfectly,” commented student Carlos Pineda Polanco, after the closing event of the 3rd edition of “Business Camp. Boost Your Innovation Thesis,” in the auditorium of the University of Magallanes (UMAG).
The initiative, organized by the Innovation and Transfer Directorate of the university, selected a dozen students in 2024, with proposals from the fields of Marine Biology, Construction Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Agronomy, Psychology, and Civil Engineering. After a process of training and support, they were invited to present their initiatives in a 5-minute pitch format to a jury, where they also answered questions.
“It is very important for the training of UMAG students, in general, to participate in these instances to develop skills that are not always included in their professional training, such as communication,” commented Cristiane Silva de Carvalho, an academic from the Faculty of Engineering and researcher at SERC Chile, who was one of the evaluators. Her counterpart, Katia Vergara Ojeda, an Administration Engineer dedicated to textile crafts, agreed with her view, especially because “these are real-life instances that students can experience from now on.
