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Saxony opens science office in Chile: New opportunities for students!
On August 18, 2025, Chemnitz University of Technology opened the SSLO Chile to promote students and scientific exchange.
Saxony opens science office in Chile: New opportunities for students!
On August 18, 2025, the “Saxon Science Liaison Office Chile” (SSLO Chile) was officially opened in Santiago de Chile. Professor Dr. With this event, Heike Graßmann, State Secretary in the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism, and the German Ambassador Susanne Fries-Gaier set a further accent in the scientific and technological cooperation between Germany and Chile. The opening was accompanied by a speech by Alejandra Pizarro Guerrero, Director of the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID), where she emphasized the importance of the new office.
In the future, the SSLO Chile will be operated under the leadership of the Chemnitz University of Technology. The aim is to promote the recruitment of students to Saxon universities and to intensify scientific exchange between Saxony and Chile. During the opening ceremony, the State Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow reported on the great potential of young Chileans who could aspire to study in Saxony.
International recruitment of students
The new office in Chile is part of Saxony's comprehensive strategy to recruit international specialists. Saxony needs this recruitment in order to counteract the projected labor shortage of up to 200,000 skilled workers by 2030. Around 80 Chileans are already studying at Saxon universities. This number could increase further due to the activities of the new office.
The Saxon delegation that traveled to Chile for the opening also included well-known representatives such as Professor Dr. Eva Inés Obergfell, Rector of the University of Leipzig, and Professor Dr. Maximilian Eibl, Vice Rector of Chemnitz University of Technology. Special discussions took place with the Chilean Ministry of Education and Science as well as with German political foundations and institutions. These dialogues are intended to create additional opportunities for Saxon universities in South America.
Scientific exchange and demand for skilled workers
The SSLO Chile is not the first of its kind. Similar offices already exist in Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Mongolia and India. At these locations, the focus is also on the targeted acquisition of students from disciplines that are urgently needed in Saxony. As part of an action plan by the Saxon state government, the support of international students who are already in Saxony will be further promoted.
The University of Leipzig and the Technical University of Chemnitz agree that increased exchange must be sought in areas such as resource extraction, astronomical sciences, climate research, medicine and the humanities. Optional access for Chilean students to German universities under certain conditions also strengthens the connection.
The goals of the Saxon initiatives are in the context of the ever-present challenges that Saxony must overcome in accessing qualified workers. A lack of contact persons for foreign workers and uncertainties regarding legal regulations further complicate the situation.
In summary, it can be said that the SSLO Chile represents a decisive step towards promoting international networking and combating the shortage of skilled workers in Saxony. The region has the potential to act as an attractive working environment, which is further strengthened by cooperation with countries such as Chile. The initiatives aim to build a sustainable and future-oriented supply of skilled workers, which is urgently needed.