The first cohort of Virginia Tech students has arrived in Valdivia, Chile, launching the new Semester Abroad in Valdivia and Patagonia program in partnership with Universidad Austral de Chile.

Students are spending their first week getting acquainted with their new university and home for the semester. Along with traditional welcome activities, including campus and city tours, the group will take a kayaking excursion — a fitting introduction to a region known for its striking landscapes and opportunities for outdoor adventure.

The outing also offers an early glimpse of the program’s place-based approach. Throughout the semester, students will explore one of the world’s most remarkable ecosystems through classroom learning, field experiences, and research. Their studies will focus on conservation, sustainability, and the effects of climate change in Patagonia, connecting academic concepts with the landscapes and communities around them.

Classes begin Monday, Aug. 3, with courses in agricultural and forestry management and the ecological functions of southern Chile’s volcanic ash soils. The cohort will cap its first week of study with a weekend trip to Punta Curiñanco, a coastal nature reserve — another opportunity to experience their new surroundings and begin seeing the semester’s central themes beyond the classroom.

A group of smiling students and program leaders, several wearing Virginia Tech clothing, pose together indoors.
Students and program leaders gather for a group photo after the first cohort’s arrival in Valdivia, Chile. Virginia Tech photo
A group of students and program leaders, several wearing Virginia Tech clothing, walk down the sidewalk.
Universidad Austral de Chile program leaders give the Virginia Tech students a tour upon their arrival in Valdivia, Chile. Virginia Tech photo.

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