One of the paramount goals while creating the Universidad Austral de Chile was to find a way to retain the beauty and closeness of nature, while at the same time encourage the acquisition of knowledge. Every walkway and building of the university was planned through group effort, led by Doctor Eduardo Morales, and the final result was well deserving of the University's Motto: "Conocimiento y Naturaleza" (Knowledge and Nature). Throughout the university grounds, the spirit of a scientific community can be felt by any who seek new and innovative answers.
The University Austral of Chile was founded under Decree number 3,757 on the 7th of September, 1954, in Valdivia as a response to the undeniable need to create an institution of higher education in the southern part of the country.