25 May Vincula: Initiative to promote the contribution of Chilean universities to the legislative process is launched
The platform facilitates, through a system that operates with data intelligence, the meeting between academics and parliamentarians so that the former can collaborate in the development of new laws, providing knowledge and scientific evidence.
The disconnect that often exists between the world of politicians and that of university academics is a recurring topic within academia. To help bridge this gap, the Vincula project was created—a platform developed with data intelligence that connects members of parliament with university experts, with the aim of contributing academic knowledge to the legislative process.
Much like a social network or apps designed to connect people with shared interests, the system currently has over 400 registered academics in its pilot phase. These experts, from various Chilean universities, can be contacted by parliamentarians or legislative advisors based on their areas of expertise. When researchers register on the platform, they authorize the use of their scientific productivity data, which is then processed using natural language processing techniques to generate knowledge profiles. These profiles allow for the search and recommendation of experts relevant to the drafting of legislative initiatives.
The system will also function bidirectionally: whenever a topic is being discussed in Congress, alerts are sent to registered academics whose profiles match the subject matter, facilitating their timely participation in the process. Additionally, the public record of a scientist’s contribution to the legislative process not only recognizes their input but also makes it available to the broader community. This enhances public deliberation and enriches policy debates by adding more informed perspectives.
“The system is designed to help others find you, but it also offers a window of opportunity for proactive and timely participation by anyone who wants to contribute their knowledge to the legislative process,” explains Francisca Reyes, Director of Vincula, academic at the Institute for Sustainable Development (IDS) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and researcher at CAPES and the Millennium Institute of Coastal Socio-Ecology (SECOS). The professor explains that the traditional gap between the academic community and parliamentarians could be compared to the Grand Canyon.
“You can see the person on the other side, you know they’re there, but the gap between both shores is so deep that there’s virtually no way to cross it, meet, or communicate—which results in two worlds that operate almost completely separately,” she says. Her diagnosis stems from a study conducted with Stefan Gelcich, academic at the Faculty of Biological Sciences, Director of SECOS and CAPES researcher.
Together, they analyzed environmental bills debated between 2010 and 2020, covering topics such as water, air, soil, waste, climate change, energy, landscape and territory, mining, forests, and fisheries. According to their research, a total of 63 environmental bills were processed during this period, discussed in 27 legislative committees across both chambers of Congress. However, of the 1,297 people who participated in those legislative debates over the decade, only 86 were academics. The study also revealed certain biases—such as gender disparities—and that most of the participants were based in Santiago.
Francisca Reyes explains that, often, while following the discussion and approval of certain bills, it’s difficult to understand the omissions or mistakes made by legislators. “It also happens that there isn’t much diversity in the information reaching Congress, or that certain biases are present. What’s missing is a debate that’s informed by the best and most diverse knowledge available—one that’s more open and allows for the discussion and appreciation of scientific evidence as a fundamental part of the lawmaking process,” she says.
This issue is repeated at the international level, with gaps that can be explained by the different cultures and languages spoken by academics and legislators, as well as by the lack of incentives and capacities among academics to participate in these processes. Reyes notes that when the political or economic costs of a measure are significant for certain groups, those groups will do whatever they can to avoid them.
On the other hand, researchers often see their role as centered on contributing through scientific publications, rather than proposing concrete public policy alternatives and solutions. She adds that it is not uncommon for academics who do go to Congress to have unsatisfactory experiences—partly because they are unprepared to participate in settings that differ greatly from the academic audiences they are used to. As a result, their interventions may be more suitable for a classroom or disciplinary seminar than for a public legislative committee hearing.
Collaborative work
Joining Francisca Reyes on the Vincula project is an interdisciplinary team made up of Andrea Rodríguez, co-director of Vincula and professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Concepción; Marcelo Arenas, director of the Millennium Institute for Foundational Research on Data and professor of Engineering at UC; and Katherine Mollenhauer, professor at the UC School of Design.
Currently, the initiative includes twelve Chilean universities (University of Concepción, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Los Andes, Catholic University of Maule, University of Magallanes, Catholic University of the North, University of La Frontera, University of Chile, University of Santiago, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Catholic University of Temuco, and Austral University of Chile), which, through this project, will be able to enhance their participation in the legislative process and, in doing so, fulfill their public commitment and contribute to the common good—an essential mission of higher education institutions with a public vocation.
Additionally, among Vincula’s key allies are the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Library of the National Congress—especially those legislative experts who provide technical advice to parliamentarians. “The knowledge of academics and the evidence they bring can improve the quality of legislative discussions, as certain technical assumptions in the debate may become commonly accepted. This allows parliamentarians to focus on the political relevance of legislative proposals,” says Guido Williams, Head of Parliamentary Technical Advisory at the Library of the National Congress.
He also emphasizes that scientific knowledge is useful for the oversight role of members of the Chamber of Deputies: “It allows them to monitor government actions, especially the implementation of public policies and programs. I believe Vincula can significantly enhance political and legislative deliberation in the National Congress,” he concludes. The initiative includes 26 ambassadors, who are distinguished academics from Vincula’s partner universities. Among them are SECOS directors Stefan Gelcich and Pilar Haye, along with researchers Laura Farías and Carolina Rojas.
Although Vincula is a pioneering and unique initiative in Latin America, it collaborates with and draws best practices from international organizations such as Research Impact Canada, the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UK), Advancing Research Impact in Society (USA), and the Africa Research and Impact Network. These five initiatives are part of the Research Impact Network, with Vincula being the only representative from Latin America. To be a member of Vincula, one must belong to a Chilean university with a public mission and accreditation in research by the National Accreditation Commission, or to a center of research excellence such as Millennium Institutes, FONDAP centers, or basal and regional centers.
Previous experience
Despite the distance that often exists between those who produce knowledge and decision-makers, there are successful examples of science-policy connections—such as the preliminary draft of the Soil Law. One of the key documents behind this initiative was developed with input from a group of 30 scientists coordinated by Mónica Antilén, professor and director of the School of Chemistry at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
“Mónica coordinated this group of scientists for almost two years to develop the draft of the Soil Law, and during that process, a team of lawyers also participated in the writing, clearly demonstrating not only their expertise and innovative capacity but also their flexibility,” explains Francisca Reyes. In this context, the director of Vincula emphasizes that respecting roles is crucial in collaboration. While academics contribute knowledge, relevant background, and scientific evidence on issues affecting society, it is ultimately the role of politicians to make decisions that are sustainable socially, economically, politically, and scientifically. “Science is a highly valuable input that must be present, but no one should expect it to be the only factor considered,” she says.
Currently, during Vincula’s pilot phase, various universities are joining the platform by providing scientific productivity data. In some cases, this process goes hand in hand with improvements that universities are making to their data registration systems, in alignment with the concept of open science, which aims to ensure that data is organized, accessible, and publicly available.
“These changes don’t happen through osmosis—there must be a public commitment and support from the country’s science and technology institutions, as well as a strong determination from universities to promote concrete mechanisms that, like Vincula, allow us to extend the impact of the knowledge we produce for the well-being of society as a whole and to work on it collaboratively through partnerships,” says Francisca Reyes.
She acknowledges that a platform like this must overcome certain cultural barriers, which requires a great deal of work, commitment, and conviction about the public role of knowledge and of those who produce it. Despite the resistance, she remains optimistic. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of public decisions being informed by science, as well as the vital role of universities.
“No country in the world can develop without sound regulation—and that requires it to be informed and backed by evidence and knowledge,” she concludes. The academic registration process for the platform began in late December, and the goal is for participation to continue growing with its upcoming official launch, scheduled for May 26 at 12:00 p.m. in the Aquiles Portaluppi Hall of the UC Faculty of Law, at Casa Central. The event will also be livestreamed on Vincula’s official YouTube channel.