From September 29 to October 2, 2025, the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile (IEI-UChile) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) hosted the 10th Jean Monnet Network BRIDGE Watch Seminar, dedicated to the theme “Digital Transformation and Innovative Solutions.”

Coordinated by Professors Fabíola Wüst Zibetti (UChile), Aline Beltrame de Moura (UFSC), and Nuno Cunha Rodrigues (ULisboa), the event brought together network members, scholars, policymakers, and international experts for four days of academic sessions, training courses, and workshops. The hybrid-format event welcomed over 150 participants and featured 120 speakers from 19 countries, reaffirming the project’s role as a leading platform for dialogue between Europe and Latin America.

The opening session, held at ECLAC, counted with high-level representatives, including the Claudia Gintersdorfer, Ambassador of the European Union to Chile; Marco Llinás, the Director of the Division of Productive and Business Development at ECLAC; Dorotea Giral, Director of IEI-UChile; and the BRIDGE Watch coordinators, professors Nuno Cunha Rodrigues and Aline Beltrame de Moura.

The first day featured the seminar on “Digital Transformation and Innovative Solutions”, with keynote interventions from María José Macho, United Nations System in Chile; Sergio Scarabino, ITU; Patricia Roa, ILO; Sebastián Rovira, ECLAC; and Victor Fajnzylber, XR Labs – UChile. In the afternoon, project members gathered for an internal meeting to discuss implementation strategies.

On September 30, participants attended the Training Course on Digital Transformation and Innovative Solutions, held at ECLAC, with insightful contributions from experts from Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Sweden, and Portugal.

On October 1, the Advanced Course “Democracy and the Rule of Law in the European Union and Latin America” took place at IEI-UChile, with the participation of distinguished scholars from Europe and Latin America. Both courses will be later available at the project’s website eurolatinstudies.com.

The final day, October 2, was dedicated to the Workshop, divided into 16 parallel panels. This year’s Call for Papers reached a record level of participation, with 60 presentations authored by 91 researchers from across both regions. The program concluded with the continuation of the Advanced Course, focusing on the impact of digital transformation on democracy and the rule of law.

This seminar marked the fourth of six events planned under the three-year BRIDGE Watch Project, coordinated by the University of Lisbon and the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in collaboration with 14 universities across Europe and Latin America. The project seeks to strengthen academic cooperation and foster mutual understanding between the two regions.

The Organizing Committee warmly thanks all participants, speakers, moderators, and partners for their invaluable contributions to the success of this seminar. The next BRIDGE Watch event will take place April 13-15, 2026 at the University of Lisbon, Portugal.