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The XIX Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario The conferences will be held on October 23 and 24 at the Faculty of Law. More than 300 scientific posters produced by the researchers themselves will be presented.
The Conference began with an opening ceremony attended by the rector of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario Franco Bartolacci; the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Hernán Botta; the Secretary of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development, Elena Gasparri; and the Secretary of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Santa Fe, Erica Hynes. Also participating will be the management teams of the University and the Faculty, who worked on the organization of this traditional academic event, which this year will be held at the Faculty of Law.
Rector Franco Bartolacci praised the work of the entire team in the Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development Department for their commitment to the public university and the support of the Santa Fe Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation to sustain scientific development in the region. “For us, this is truly important. We are committed to collaborative work and joining forces. Given the current situation, it is often very difficult, and if it weren't for this support, many of these initiatives would be impossible,” he explained, adding: “Seventy percent of Argentine science, of our country's knowledge, is produced, funded, and generated in the university and public system. And of course, this situation we are subjected to—underfunding, dehierarchization, disregard, and mistreatment—creates enormous difficulties in sustaining what we value and hold so dear and which we understand, as we have said endlessly, is so important to the nation. It is necessary to be firm and vehement, as we have been, in defending the Argentine public university system and the national scientific system.”
He also commented that this preservation of the scientific system must be done alongside profound changes, prioritizing areas of knowledge that are functional to current problems and that represent a tangible contribution to society as a whole. "It's not a condescending defense; we know that profound transformations must be produced, but it is firm and vehement because these are not problems for the country; rather, there is the possibility of finding a solution to the structural problems we are facing. We have a system up to this point, which provides a lot of money, which in specific terms is practically nothing, which makes presentation and accountability more cumbersome than what it enables in terms of funding, without prioritizing any specific line. So, one thing is what we accredit as research projects of the Universidad Nacional de Rosario"What we collectively define for funding is another matter, so that these projects actually have sufficient resources to develop the proposed lines. The intention, starting next year, is to change that logic and dynamic and move toward this new format."
As in the four previous editions, it will be possible to access content produced specifically for these meetings and the online gallery of scientific posters through jornadasctei.unr.edu.ar.
The event is organized by the Science, Technology and Innovation for Development Area through its Departments of Science Communication, Scientific Promotion, Interdisciplinary Research, Technological Linkage and Innovation for Development.
"We seek to sustain and redouble our efforts to continue fostering spaces for meeting and dialogue among our University's researchers. These events are a success, with more than 335 papers presented by members of our community. The idea of having everything digitized allows anyone to access the information and connect with the authors of the University's various research projects," explained Elena Gasparri, head of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
He also emphasized that the conferences are now a tradition, as this is the 19th consecutive event. “Every year we look to add something new to further this work. The conference website is a very quiet endeavor, but it allows us today to have a repository of six years of scientific production from the entire University, which can not only be consulted, but also allows directors to interact with researchers from around the world. Furthermore, for a few years now, we have chosen to have them traveling to highlight the different spaces of the University and also to allow researchers to learn about the workplaces of other colleagues. This year, we embraced inclusion, a task that took a lot of effort and required significant preparation. I would also like to thank the researchers for having to learn how to make their posters accessible, which is no small feat, and that also speaks to a committed community.”
“The new Constitution of the Province of Santa Fe gives an important role to the development of science and technology, in its Article 27, which strongly states that science and technology are a common good of Santa Fe society and establishes the right to local production and access to it. No other province has these mechanisms, because we also have a provincial law that guarantees funding or a mechanism like the Santa Fe Provincial Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation, which has been established for more than ten years with ongoing activity,” emphasized Erica Hynes.
“Today, more than ever, we must defend the value of critical thinking, of rigorous research, and, ultimately, that is defending public education. Behind every poster, every project, there are committed people, colleagues who have worked hard; there are stories of vocation, of hope, with the certainty that knowledge is a tool to improve collective life. May every presentation, every work, every conversation, every meeting be another step on this collective path of thinking and doing science in and for our country,” said Dean Hernán Botta.
More and better public science
The 19th Science, Technology, and Innovation Conference is held within the framework of National Science and Technology Week. This annual initiative, held nationwide, brings scientists together with society through various activities to promote science, technology, innovation, and art.
The papers presented by researchers will be divided into six different categories: Natural and Exact Sciences; Biomedical and Health Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; Engineering, Architecture and Technology; Social Sciences; and Humanities and Arts.
As part of the conference, various special activities were held. On Thursday the 23rd, at 2:00 p.m., the discussion "University and Sustainable Development Call: Getting to Know the Projects That Seek Transformation" took place, and at 5:00 p.m., the first issue of Enlace Jurídico magazine was presented. The talk "Constructing the Scientific Poster" was also held, seeking to delve deeper into this communication resource, so widely used by scientists in these contexts.
The conference will conclude on Friday, October 24, at 4:00 p.m. with the presentation of honors for the narrated posters and a toast open to the entire university community, reaffirming the institutional commitment to promoting knowledge, research, and academic cooperation.
Journalist: Gonzalo J. García/ Photography: Camila Casero.