2024/06/10

CIC bioGUNE promotes participation in the Inspira STEAM program to encourage scientific vocations among young people

CIC bioGUNE has participated in the Inspira STEAM program, organized by the University of Deusto, to foster scientific vocations among young people, especially girls.
Three professionals from CIC bioGUNE have conducted sessions in schools in Bizkaia, highlighting group mentoring as an innovative method.

The Cooperative Research Center in Biosciences, CIC bioGUNE – member of BRTA – has actively participated in the Inspira STEAM program, a pioneering initiative organized and promoted by the University of Deusto with the support of the business and public sectors in the region. The main goal of this program is to break gender stereotypes and promote scientific vocations among sixth-grade girls through the testimonies of a hundred mentors.

Inspira STEAM was initiated to address the need for greater scientific and technological engagement among students, particularly girls, as their representation in fields like Engineering and Architecture drops significantly despite making up 54.3% of the university population. This pioneering project lies in the voluntary participation of mentors who, through six work sessions during school hours, share their day-to-day experiences with young students.

This year, CIC bioGUNE has significantly contributed to the program with the participation of three professionals: Dr. Edurne Berra, Sarai Araujo and Dr. Jana Sendra. These scientists have brought their experience and knowledge to three different schools in the Bizkaia region between February and June, bringing science and technology into the classrooms.

Last Friday, June 7th, the official closing ceremony of the 2023-2024 edition of Inspira STEAM took place. During the event, the results and impact of the project were presented, highlighting the participation of 58 educational centers and the involvement of 187 mentors (158 women and 29 men).

The work sessions conducted by the mentors address crucial topics such as gender stereotypes in society, the scientific profession, and the role of women throughout history. The main purpose of these meetings is to help students overcome doubts and objections about scientific and technological careers, clarify their motivations, and strengthen their self-esteem to pursue a professional path in these fields, if they choose.

CIC bioGUNE is proud to have been part of this initiative that not only promotes gender equality in science and technology but also inspires the next generation of scientists and technologists. The active participation of our professionals has not only allowed students to get an up-close look at the world of science and research but has also sparked interest and curiosity in these fields, paving the way for future scientific vocations.

About CIC bioGUNE
The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA
BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version