RepLab Strengthens International Cooperation with Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins through Academic Visit and Book Presentation

The Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education at HSE University in St. Petersburg strengthened its international academic cooperation through the visit of Magdalena A. Gaete-Sepúlveda, PhD, Head of RepLab, to Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins (UBO) in Chile.

The visit formed part of RepLab’s broader international strategy to promote research collaboration, institutional partnerships, and academic dialogue on the future of higher education. During her stay, Dr. Gaete-Sepúlveda presented her book, The Fifth Generation University, and held working meetings with faculties, research centers, and institutional units at UBO.

The book introduces the concept of the Fifth Generation University (5GU), a human-centered model of university governance that places the person, the common good, sustainability, social impact, and institutional reputation at the center of higher education management. From RepLab’s perspective, this model offers a strategic framework for rethinking the social mission of universities in contexts marked by technological change, reputational vulnerability, and growing demands for measurable social contribution.

According to Alexis Matheu, Director of Institutional Analysis and Research at UBO, the meetings contributed to strengthening the university’s international outlook. “The meetings were highly valuable in confirming our institutional commitment to internationalization, particularly through her perspective on the Fifth Generation University, which is very much aligned with our educational model,” he noted.

The academic agenda included meetings with teams working in research, innovation, sustainability, institutional analysis, and community engagement. These conversations helped identify concrete opportunities for cooperation between UBO and RepLab, including joint research initiatives, future academic seminars, interdisciplinary projects, and a potential collaborative patent.

“Each meeting concluded with concrete objectives for joint work. We are already projecting research initiatives, a future collaborative patent, and new academic activities such as seminars and long-term projects. This demonstrates Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins’ commitment to a collaborative and international vision,” said Dr. Gaete-Sepúlveda.

For RepLab, the visit represents an important step in expanding international dialogue on university reputation, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and human-centered governance. It also reinforces the Laboratory’s commitment to building bridges between universities, research teams, and social actors across different regions.

Through this collaboration, RepLab continues to advance its mission of generating knowledge with practical relevance for higher education institutions, supporting universities that seek to strengthen their legitimacy, social responsibility, and contribution to the common good.