Minister for Science for the first time at Católica to speak to researchers
"I am and always will be a scientist." This was how Elvira Fortunato, Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, addressed the researchers of Universidade Católica Portuguesa at the IV CARE Gathering - Católica Research, this Wednesday, September 22, on what was her first visit to the UCP as a government official.
On this occasion for reflection and debate among scientists from various areas, the minister announced first-hand that all researchers who have applied for grants from the European Research Council "who have passed the second phase, reached the interview and who have not had a funded project, will automatically receive financial support from FCT."
A cause for celebration for those present, who gathered at the headquarters of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon to discuss the challenges of inter and transdisciplinarity in research, gender equality in academia, and share experiences with other institutions.
For Peter Hanenberg, Vice-Rector of UCP for Research and Innovation, "science is about going beyond, finding new ways". In turn, Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of UCP, highlighted gender equality as "a central issue for our involvement with science". In a scenario where there are "47% of women researchers and faculty", but only "23% as university leaders in Europe", Isabel Capeloa Gil highlighted that gender equality "continues to be relevant and very important for science and institutions to become more competitive".
Gülsün Sağlamer, who was the first and only woman Rector of Istanbul Technical University (1996-2004), and current President of the European Women Rectors Association, argued that achieving gender equality will only be possible with three types of changes: "cultural, structural and also individual".
"It is a duty for us as rectors to bring this issue to debate, to raise awareness and open the doors to the younger generations," she clarified, also emphasising the role that leadership can have in the future of an institution.
For Ana Costa Freitas, President of the Portuguese Association of Women Scientists (AMONET), who was Rector of the University of Évora (2014-2022), "women are under-represented in positions of responsibility in all areas, from business to politics, to academia". She explained that "this is not only a problem for women, it is a problem for society, a global problem" and that "we have to work together to achieve this goal".
In the photo: Gülsün Sağlamer, Isabel Capeloa Gil and Ana Costa Freitas
During this event, the conclusions of several multidisciplinary working groups - clusters - on "CARE for our Common Home" and "Health in the context of digital, environmental and societal transformations" were also presented, in addition to the participation of UCP PhD and post-doctoral students in a roundtable on interdisciplinarity.
As an example of this exchange between scientific areas, the Rector of UCP highlighted the ODS chairs, optional 1st cycle subjects, specifically dedicated to the study and understanding of several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which "can inspire students to think differently".
Paulo Dias, coordinator of the Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, highlighted the new degree in Applied Data Science, which aims to prepare students for data analysis, using computing and mathematics, to solve problems in the humanities, social and behavioural sciences.
In the closing panel, Rui Vieira Castro, Rector of the University of Minho, mentioned the importance of "surpassing the barriers of scientific fields" so that "the different areas may work together for the benefit of society". Caren Norden, Deputy Director of the Gulbenkian Science Institute, argued that multidisciplinary opportunities contribute to creating "more original science".