The Aitue Foundation has just announced the three winning projects of its traditional grant supporting undergraduate and graduate theses, which this year celebrates its tenth anniversary. The selected projects, whose research addresses key issues for the development of indigenous peoples, will receive funding and support for the publication of their work.
Among the award winners is Felipe Iriarte Pérez, a Master’s student in Social Sciences at the University of Chile, who is researching the socio-territorial conflicts generated by lithium mining in Atacama.
In the field of forestry engineering, Javiera Andrade Cabezas, also from the University of Chile, was recognized for her innovative study on the Mapuche-Williche worldview applied to forest management in Chiloé.
Completing the trio of winning projects are Katya Celedón Manquelipe, Carolina Norambuena Rosales, and Alejandra Sanhueza Battienteos, all Social Work students at the Santo Tomás University of Temuco, whose work analyzes the real impact of intercultural education in Mapuche communities.
Carlos Llancaqueo, president of the Aitue Foundation, emphasized that “these research projects represent exactly the type of work we want to support: serious studies that originate from the territories and that can influence public policy.” The scholarship, now in its tenth year, has supported more than 20 projects throughout its history.
The recipients will receive a monthly stipend of $150,000 for four months, in addition to the publication of four copies of their theses. The jury, composed of the foundation’s board of directors, particularly evaluated the alignment with the institution’s strategic priorities, which include Indigenous economic development, prior consultation, and cultural revitalization.
“For us as a foundation, it is a source of pride to continue this tradition, now a decade old,” added Llancaqueo. “Each year we see how these academic works end up influencing the public discussion on the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
The three winners agreed that this recognition not only provides them with the material resources to complete their research but also validates the social importance of their research topics.
