The current scenario of aging in Chile represents a series of challenges that commit the universities of the State of Chile, which together justify, maintain and enhance the existing network. Among these challenges, the following stand out: (a) the ability to train qualified human resources, and (b) deliver validated inputs, through interdisciplinary research, for the generation of public policies on the matter. In order to contribute to the generation of public policies, it became necessary to collaborate between academia, social organizations, and national referents on issues. of aging and old age, such as State agencies. In this way, it will be possible to give rise to proposals for plans and programs that consider biologicaland social determinants of health through relevant contextualized public policies. To face the various challenges of healthy aging and current needs present in old age, the participation of the universities in the network, from north to south, and their disciplinary interaction, both in research and in the generation of programs oriented to the formation of human capital, is essential. There is no doubt that most of the resources are centralized in the Metropolitan Region and, fortunately, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new form of associative work has been generated through virtual spaces, which allows form a critical mass necessary to understand and generate educational and intervention programs at the national level. Associativity is essential to design work programs in a strategic and integrated manner, which allows reaching all sectors of society. The Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging (CIES) is organizing and coordinating this link, allowing an equitable socialization of each discipline in the territories (regions), including sectors as diverse as the community, civil society, regulatory agencies, ministries and the public sector, productive sectors, among others, linking them with academia and vice versa, in favor of promoting the healthy aging of the Chilean population.

Older people in general, Older people with vulnerabilities, Both older and younger people

Education, Health, Information and Communication, Long-term care, Other

Civil Society Organization, Older People's Association, Academia, Health Care, Social Care

Older people were part of the process at multiple or all stages

In general, CIES represents a "Paradigm Shift": From Competition to Collaboration between State Universities. The proposal seeks to promote and strengthen the articulation between Chilean state universities in a field that is especially relevant at a national and global level. Given its mission, CIES develops basic and applied research in the field of aging, developing synergies between the areas of biology of aging, chronic noncommunicable diseases, neurosciences and neurodegenerative diseases, odontogeriatrics, food and nutrition, functional capacity and physical condition, quality of life social security and social determinants, contributing to the knowledge and development of strategies that promote healthy aging, with a gender perspective, both in the researchers, their work and representativeness, as well as in the participation of the elderly, to detect and analyze differences by sex, as recommended by current research guidelines. To this end, CIES has collaboration networks, participates in the generation of high-standard scientific products and advanced human capital training, carries out outreach activities with the environment, and provides inputs for the development of related public policies that have an impact on the improvement of the quality of life of the population. In order to contribute to the generation of public policies that consider the high physical, psychological, educational, social, economic, and cultural heterogeneity of this age group, it became necessary to liaise between academia, social organizations, and national referents on issues. of aging and old age, such as State agencies. In this way, it will be possible to give rise to proposals for plans and programs that consider the combination of biological, environmental, and regional or territorial factors through relevant contextualized public policies.

The very creation of CIES and its Collaboration Networks represent an important impact on the work of universities in the academic fields related to aging and the elderly. Two meetings of the member academics have been held, and this has favored the alignment of the work with the guidelines of the Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030. Recently, on November 23, 2022, in the city of Aysén (Southern Chile), the Agreement for the creation of CIES was signed, an event attended by the Plenary of rectors of the Council of Rectors of the State Universities of Chile (CUECH). Within the framework of the implementation of CIES, 8 interdisciplinary research projects have been financed, the results of which are expected to be contributions to proposals for programs and public policies on aging in Chile. Progress is being made in the formulation of an Interuniversity Doctorate Program on Aging. A Communications Plan has been developed, the CIES website has been developed, and there are Digital Social Networks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Platforms that allow interaction with the elderly themselves. In the field of University Extension, the CIES Conferences WITH Older People have been developed, we have joined the Intersectoral Table on Oral Health of the Elderly, and other Tables with State Institutions linked to the elderly.

The creation and implementation of the Interuniversity Center for Research in Healthy Aging (CIES), includes the participation of academics from 15 state universities. We have proposed to work collaboratively, in an inter-university and interdisciplinary network, in the field of population aging, covering different fields through its Thematic Lines. With this, CIES intends to respond to policies and programs focused on aging, at the regional and national level. It is worth noting the current National Policy for Positive and Healthy Aging 2012-2025, whose main objectives are the achievement of the integral participation of PM, the improvement or maintenance of their functional capacity and their subjective quality of life, which are an important part of this proposal. In fact, the cited document, in its specific objectives, indicates the need to increase the number of investigations on issues related to aging and old age. For its part, the Chilean Ministry of Health, as a way of operationalizing the aforementioned Policy, has designed the Comprehensive National Health Plan for PM and its 2021-2030 Action Plan. This Plan is aligned with international recommendations and initiatives, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN) and the Decade for Healthy Aging 2020-2030 (WHO), in which CIES has a leading role through external institutions that support this project: SENAMA, INGER-Chile and INGER-Mexico, which have also been part of the strategy of the Decade of Healthy Aging. CIES is also aligned with these strategies, by proposing to create an enabling environment for PMs to develop their lives in a healthy way, including themselves in society through their active contribution and, at the same time, generating changes at the structural level, impacting the social determinants of health, working intersectorally, and generating instances of collaboration at the level of the State, civil society and the private world. The CIES is aligned with the 4 main objectives considered in the National Action Plan 2021-2030, based on the life course and the needs of the Elderly in the expected results: improve the health of the population, reduce inequities, increase the satisfaction of the population and ensure the quality of health services.

1) Inter-institutional collaboration makes it possible to generate synergies in favor of the elderly. An interuniversity doctoral program in aging will promote research more relevant to the needs of older people. 2) The collaboration between CIES and Scientific Societies has favored the recognition of Geriatric Dentistry in Chile as a new dental specialty, which responds to emerging needs in the framework of comprehensive care for the elderly. 3) The experience of linking some public universities in the administration of establishments of the social and health care system and care of the elderly, allows to optimize the education and training of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the health careers of the State universities , and jointly the provision and quality of socio-health services aimed at the group of older people. Example: The University of Antofagasta manages a Day Center that depends on the National Service for the Elderly (SENAMA).

In conclusion, the main results of the CIES Thematic Lines (Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases, Neurosciences and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Geriatric Dentistry, Food and Nutrition of PM, Functional Capacity and Physical Condition in Aging, and Quality of Life and Social Determinants of Healthy Aging) and its Transdisciplinary Axes (Collaboration Networks, Research and Innovation, Advanced Human Capital Training, Linkage with the Environment and Public Policies), aim at: - Increase inter-university collaboration. - Develop interdisciplinary R+D+i projects, and increase the number and quality of scientific publications. - Participate in human capital training programs (technical, undergraduate and postgraduate) in aging (especially the creation of PhDs). - Provide advice to public and private entities that require specialized assistance on aging issues. - Prepare documents that highlight the proposals and recommendations on public policies that aim to improve the quality of life of PM in Chile.