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Maria Terrades, director of Barcelona Science Park, during her intervention at the ceremony (Picture: PCB).
 11.02.2020

New generations draw a promising future at the final ceremony of “Cuestión de Ciencia”

The final ceremony of ‘"Cuestión de ciencia: ¿Te atreves a desafiar el futuro?" has taken place this morning at CosmoCaixa. This initiative comes from Bayer, in collaboration with the Barcelona Science Park and Big Van Ciencia to approach research to young people and inspire them about their future, through creative games and humour. The 12 finalist students, that have been selected from more than a hundred participants, have presented their monologues in front of an auditorium full of students and prominent representative from institutional, health, academic and social fields.
 

Questions like “How to feed a growing community?” or “How to contribute to the health of a community with a bigger life expectancy?” are some of the global challenges in the field of health and alimentation which more than 3.000 secondary students from Sevilla, Guadalajara, Alcalá de Henares and Barcelona responded with a scientific monologue in “Cuestión de ciencia”.

The 12 finalists –selected from more than a hundred participants- have presented today their monologues in a ceremony presented by Big Van Ciencia at CosmoCaixa, in front of an auditorium full of representatives from institutional, health, academic and social fields, as well as students from Barcelona.

In the words of Bayer managing director of Spain and Portugal, Bernardo Kanahuati: “This ceremony is especially important to us because it project and encourage us to a future full of challenges but also full of optimism. This look forward is only possible thanks to the support of research and scientific innovation, but also thanks to the collaboration and the strength of new generations that, without a doubt, will be the heads to take those challenges”. 

María Terrades, general director of the Barcelona Science Park, wanted to thank Bayer this Project because “is a very new form of outreach through the generation of ideas, but also that impulses to question of the major global challenges of the future and move this curiosity to the young students.”

Helena González, director of the educational content of Big Van Ciencia, has put emphasis on the coincidence that this ceremony has been celebrated on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and has insisted on “the importance of scientific outreach, but also on the necessity of giving visibility to women in this field.”

The ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany for Spain, Wolfgang Dold, has been present at the ceremony and congratulated Bayer for its 120th anniversary. “This story of success of more than a century represents the tradition of commitment of German companies and that’s why is important to put the first stone towards the future success as well as commemorating the past and the present.

The three winning monologues

The selection of the best Works has been in charge of an expert jury consisting of science communicators, journalists and representatives from organizations that promote research and sustainability.

Jan Cánovas, from Escola Daina-Isard from Olesa de Montserrat (Barcelona), reached the victory being only 14 years old thanks to his monologue “How to contribute to improving health and well-being?” putting emphasis on the importance to have healthy eating habits to give an answer to the challenge set about improving the community health with a longer life expectancy.

The second and third award were reached by the monologues “The agricultural side of the force”, by Patricia Mesa from IES Margarita Salas de Sevilla and “Can technology improve agriculture?” by Gonzalo Medina from IES Newton-Salas from Guadalajara. Both participants answered the challenge about approaching new digital tools to farmers.

Bayer wanted to reward this initiative with 20.000€ in prize money destined to the improvement of scientific installations of the educational centres of the winners.

Overall, the 12 finalists have received 1000€ for scientific material in their high schools and, also, the three winners have been awarded with 3000€ (1st award), 2500€ (2nd award) and 1500€ (3rd award).

► More info on Bayer website [+]