Forty-two years of Psychology at Universidad de La Frontera

Abstract

For several decades, the training of psychologists in Chile was limited to the two largest universities in the country, located in Santiago; namely, the University of Chile, and the Catholic University of Chile. However, with the creation of new universities, in 1981, and with the launch of the psychology degree program at the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO), an academic space was opened for the first time away from of Santiago, to study Psychology. This opportunity was highly valued, and embraced with enthusiasm, by young people from all regions of the country. This article presents a review of the origin, development and consolidation of this educational project, from the perspective and memory of the author. Along with highlighting the keynotes that marked the development of the different training programs in Psychology at UFRO, the author identifies the main avenues through which the disciplinary and professional contributions of psychologist staged at UFRO, have set the tone and impacted the regional and national reality, in the spirit of contributing to the well-being and better decision-making of people, in different areas of their lives.