The «Knowledge in Your Community» program begins in Cumpeo

An alliance between UCM and the Secretary of Science and Technology will allow researchers from the university to give outreach talks to young people living in rural areas.

What began with timid questions, almost forced by the speaker of the Universidad Católica del Maule (UCM), Dr. Fernando Berríos and by the Seremi of the South-Central Macro zone of the Secretary of Science and Technology, Sofía Valenzuela, as the minutes went by, was flowing until it captured the interest of the young people of the Liceo Bicentenario Agroindustrial Rio Claro, who then waited their turn to ask their questions.

The inauguration of the “Knowledge in your Community” Program, an alliance between UCM and the Secretary of Science and Technology held in Rio Claro and whose main objective is to democratize knowledge, was so successful.

The Seremi of the South Central Macrozone of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Sofía Valenzuela, valued this first activity, of several that will be programmed during 2023.

«We are very interested that the knowledge that is generated within the universities reaches the communities of the Maule Region, not only stay inside the universities in the city of Talca. Therefore, we are very grateful for the collaboration of the Catholic University», she said.

Then the authority emphasized that the talks will address «super relevant and interesting topics that are being investigated, so that the students get excited about the subject and also about the research».

Finally, the SEREMI of Science and Technology valued the importance of young people taking the weight of climate change in which we are immersed. «We are in the reality of global boiling, as they call it today. It is here to stay and we have to raise awareness».

For his part, Juan Basoalto, director of the Liceo Bicentenario Agroindustrial Rio Claro, highlighted the topic addressed by UCM researcher PhD. Fernando Berríos, who gave the talk: Knowing the brown algae forests and their ecological and economic importance.

«They bring us something we do not know. We are very far from the sea and here it is an agricultural land and generally the forests for us are those that are on the land. I believe that for the young people it is perhaps sowing a doubt, something new, and bringing it here is very important for them, because as the SEREMI said very well, maybe students will become interested in this subject,» said the director.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fernando Berríos, UCM researcher and exhibitor, explained that «in my particular case it is gratifying to be able to transfer the knowledge that one has been creating through life, and to observe the students, to be attentive, to ask questions, for me that is gratifying».

Finally, PhD. Claudia Concha, director of UCM’s Integral Center for Social Innovation, also had words for the importance of this type of initiative. «I think it is very relevant that the school community of a rural community like Rio Claro participate in an activity of this nature with a topic also very different from their reality, which talks about seaweed, that is, it puts us all in a new knowledge and in a simple, simple way. This also allows the democratization of knowledge, which is so relevant today, and that the communities that are far from this knowledge can have access to it, which can motivate students to follow a scientific career, so that we have scientists in Chile».

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