Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC), one of the top two institutions for astronomy in Chile, signed an agreement with UMD in 2010 to facilitate mutual collaboration and exchange. This new partnership will enable UMD and PUC to take advantage of the strengths of both universities.

One of the first features is an arrangement allowing astronomy graduate students at both institutions to participate in a joint Ph.D. program starting in their third year. These students split their time between both locations and conduct their thesis research under the supervision of UMD and PUC co-advisors. UMD students gain improved access to Chilean observatories, which include many of the best telescopes in the world. For more details, see the UMD Newsdesk article or the department's graduate handbook, or contact Prof. Alberto Bolatto.