Society News

The 9th edition of Emakumeak Zientzian [Women in Science] kicks off in a festive atmosphere and highlights how each small step can make a difference on the road to equality in science. Thirty-five Basque organizations are jointly running a wide-ranging programme of over 60 activities in the 9th edition of Emakumeak Zientzian.

This morning saw the inauguration of the ITSASAMPLE exhibition; it will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a hidden world, a marine universe invisible to the human eye that comes to life through stunning images of biological organisms captured with nanoGUNE's electron microscopes. The ITSASAMPLE exhibition gathers together beautiful, astonishing images of various marine species and organisms of the Aquarium of Donostia / San Sebastian, with the aim of showing the public what is hidden from their eyes. The exhibition, which opened today, can be visited until November 9 in the Nautilus room of the Aquarium of Donostia / San Sebastian.

Around 150 people came to the Intxaurrondo Kultur Etxea this afternoon to mark the beginning of the 8th edition of the Emakumeak Zientzian initiative in a festive atmosphere, and to emphasize that people in the scientific and technological field are still people with their needs, their passions, their commitments and their hobbies. In addition, there was a video presentation starring different people from the scientific and technological field, focusing on their lives beyond science.

The Basque Government Minister for Equality, Justice and Social Policies Nerea Melgosa, and the Director of Emakunde (the Basque Institute for Women) Miren Elgarresta, have presented the International Congress “"Equality, science and technology. For a paradigm shift” to be held on October 23 and 24 at the Miramar Palace in Donostia-San Sebastian; they were accompanied at the CIC nanoGUNE center by the Director of nanoGUNE Txema Pitarke and the Director of Digital Identity of the University of Deusto Lorena Fernández. The Lehendakari (President of the Basque Government) Iñigo Urkullu will be inaugurating a congress set to bring together international experts with a view to addressing existing inequalities and gender gaps and the transformations needed to systemically incorporate equality between women and men in the field of science and technology.  

About 200 people came to the Intxaurrondo Kultur Etxea (arts center) this afternoon for the start of the 7th edition of the Emakumeak Zientzian initiative in a festive atmosphere to pay tribute to all the women scientists working in the organizations and research centers that have joined the Emakumeak Zientzian initiative, which is designed to draw attention to the fact that "science is girls’ stuff". In addition, the anthem specially written for the initiative was presented live by its composer and supporter of the cause Janus Lester.

Twenty-four Basque organizations are joining forces around the Emakumeak Zientzian project, thus declaring their commitment to the objectives of the initiative: to make the activity of women in science visible, to break with the typically male roles attributed to scientific and technical work, and to encourage girls and adolescents to opt for scientific careers. With these objectives in mind, the organizations are coming together to run a joint program of activities to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated every year on February 11.

The internships will involve the participation of university students in actual research projects with nanoGUNE researchers for a period of two months. Applications can be submitted until 12 February 2023.

Twenty-four Basque entities join forces around the Emakumeak Zientzian project by signing a new collaboration agreement, thus ratifying their commitment to the initiative’s objectives: make women’s activity in science visible, break with typically male roles attributed to scientific-technical activities and encourage the choice of scientific careers among girls and adolescents. With these objectives in mind, the entities join forces to organize a joint program of activities on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated every year on February 11.

NanoGUNE's Director, Jose Maria Pitarke, was elected member of Jakiunde, the Basque Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, on 18 November 2022 at the autumn plenary session held by the Academy in Argomaniz.