Law Students Gain International Recognition with Research Rooted in Community Engagement Project

Verónica Riquelme and Florencia Vera, second-year Law students at the Concepción campus, conducted applied research based on the collaborative Community Engagement project “Lota for Everyone,” with results presented at an international conference in Granada, Spain.

Verónica Riquelme and Florencia Vera, second-year Law students from the Concepción campus of Universidad San Sebastián (USS), have achieved international academic recognition after presenting their research at the International Multidisciplinary Congress on Educational Research (CIMIE24), held in Granada, Spain.

Their study, titled “Lota para Todos: experiencia de aprendizaje desde la inclusión” (“Lota for All: Learning from Inclusion Experience”), originated from the Community Engagement (VcM) project “Lota para Todos”, part of the Territorial Program Hito Más Glocal. The research was selected among the top 20 submissions out of nearly 500 entries worldwide, underscoring its academic quality and societal relevance.

The students’ paper will be included in the official congress proceedings, which are indexed in the Web of Science (WOS). Additionally, the manuscript—born from their work in the VcM initiative—will undergo peer review by the Congress Committee for potential publication in a WOS Q1-ranked research journal.

Gonzalo Arenas, Dean of the School of Law and Social Sciences, celebrated the achievement: “This milestone reflects the high caliber of our students, whose dedication and effort, combined with the essential guidance of their academic mentors, have proudly represented USS at an international level. I hope this inspires more students to engage in these collaborative and socially impactful programs.”

From Local Engagement to Global Impact

In 2023, during their first year at USS, Verónica and Florencia joined the collaborative project Lota para Todos, driven by a shared commitment to contribute to their community from the social and legal fields. With the mentorship of academic César Espinoza, they first presented their preliminary findings at the Congreso Vincula, held at Universidad de Santiago in April.

“The professor encouraged us to continue,” Verónica explained. “Eventually, we developed an applied research article that connected Community Engagement with legislative analysis and human rights—forming a virtuous circle with the potential to generate impact across multiple sectors.”

Their work focused on the inclusion of Historic Monuments in the city of Lota, one of Chile’s most socioeconomically challenged areas. The idea to write about the city emerged from their fieldwork, with the goal of contributing academically to Lota’s economic recovery through inclusive tourism.

“We decided to delve deeper into the theme of our original project,” said Florencia. “Our article explores the inclusion of people with disabilities in cultural heritage spaces, and the violation of rights that persists despite the protections established in Chilean law.”

Both students emphasized the transformative nature of their experience:

“We discovered the social and academic impact that student work can have. It’s possible to generate knowledge through experiential learning and go beyond—becoming agents of change for a more inclusive and sustainable future.”

About Lota para Todos

The Lota para Todos project was developed in 2023 with the objective of contributing to the productive recovery of Lota, a city in the Biobío region that has faced severe socioeconomic challenges since the closure of its coal mines in 1997. Despite its rich cultural heritage and tourism potential, Lota continues to experience high levels of poverty and unemployment.

Led by USS Law academic Carmen Moreno, the project formed part of Plan Lota: Hacia un Sitio de Patrimonio Mundial (Lota Plan: Towards a World Heritage Site), spearheaded by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, in collaboration with multiple public and private institutions.

Through the PTH Más Glocal initiative, Universidad San Sebastián supported the implementation of strategic actions to empower the local community and strengthen Lota’s candidacy as a World Heritage Site.

Key outcomes of the project included the restoration of iconic monuments, such as Pabellón 83 and La Gota de Leche, now equipped with accessibility features to foster inclusive tourism. These interventions both preserve the city’s mining and industrial legacy and promote economic revitalization through heritage-driven tourism.

The project not only addressed inclusion and local development, but also provided students with the opportunity to link theory with practice—developing skills such as teamwork, civic awareness, and a strong vocation for service.