José Maripani is ratified as rector of the University of Magallanes

The Ministry of Education appointed José Fernando Maripani Maripani as Rector of the University of Magallanes through supreme decree No. 179, dated July 30, 2026, for a legal period of four years. The appointment was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile No. 44,546, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, in Section I of General Norms (official reference CVE 2866420). The decree bears the signature of the President of the Republic, José Antonio Kast Rist, and the Minister of Education, María Paz Arzola González.

A second term leading the institution

The appointment represents the reelection of Maripani, who had previously been designated Rector of the institution by supreme decree No. 138 of 2022, for a period that extended from August 7, 2022. The new decree appoints him as of August 7, 2026, and the Comptroller General of the Republic took note of the act with a qualification: since the previous tenure extended until August 7, 2026, the new appointment is effective from August 8, 2026, and is computed until August 8, 2030, in accordance with Article 48 of the Civil Code.

The process is part of the election called by the university itself through decree No. 8/SG/2026, dated April 14, 2026, for the 2026-2030 period. The institution’s Superior Council unanimously ratified the result declared by the Electoral Committee in its minutes of July 1, 2026, proposing associate professor Dr. José Maripani Maripani, who obtained the majority of the validly cast votes.

Requirements and trajectory of the rector

The decree certifies compliance with the legal requirements demanded by Law No. 19,305 to be a candidate for rector: possessing a university professional degree for at least five years, academic experience of at least three years, and experience in management roles for an equal period. In Maripani’s case, the following records are verified:

• Degree in auditing accounting conferred by the University of Magallanes on December 20, 1989.
• Tenured academic since December 1, 2015, with the rank of associate professor since May 1, 2019.
• Maintains tenure in his position and grade as a full-time academic in the institution’s Department of Administration and Economics.
• National identity card No. 9,136,362-3.

Regulatory framework and functions

The appointment is based on Article 32 number 10 and Article 35 of the Political Constitution of the Republic, as well as Law No. 21,091 on Higher Education, Law No. 21,094 on State Universities, and Law No. 19,305, which regulates the election of the Rector in state universities. According to the Statute of the University of Magallanes, approved by Decree with Force of Law No. 27 of 2023, the Rector is the highest single authority of the institution and its legal representative, and once elected, is appointed by the President of the Republic by supreme decree issued through the Ministry of Education.

The decree further establishes that, while serving as Rector, Maripani will maintain the ownership of their full-time academic position, and will assume their functions as of the date of their appointment for reasons of good service, without waiting for the full processing of the act. The Undersecretariat of Higher Education, through its head Fernanda Valdés Raczynski, was responsible for transcribing the decree for its knowledge.

Relevance for the region

The ratification of Maripani ensures continuity in the leadership of the University of Magallanes, the main state educational institution of the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic Region, during a key period for the development of higher education in the far south of the country. Their reelection, backed unanimously by the Superior Council, consolidates an academic project that will extend until 2030.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,546, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Section I, page 1 (official reference: CVE 2866420).