Researchers from the Marine Research Centre took part in a range of activities, including workshops, theatre and a scientific boat trip around the ría
For the sixth consecutive year, science took to the streets of Galicia’s main cities on the last Friday of September to celebrate G-Night. Around one hundred researchers from the University of Vigo (UVigo), including members of the Marine Research Centre (CIM), with the collaboration of other organisations and predoctoral researchers, brought their work to different locations across Vigo, Ourense and Pontevedra, where hundreds of people had the opportunity to discover, in an open and participatory way, the principles and applications behind their research.
With Vigo’s Redeiras building and O Berbés square serving as the main venues, hosting most of the 40 G-Night activities organised by UVigo researchers, the University of Vigo once again coordinated the Galician Researchers’ Night. The initiative also involves the universities of A Coruña and Santiago de Compostela; CSIC institutes —IEGPS, IEO, IIM, Incipit and MBG—; the Vigo and A Coruña oceanographic centres of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, as well as other Galician research centres and organisations, including Cesga, Citmaga, Ecobas, FCEER, IDIS, IISGS and Inibic.
UVigo Rector Carmen García Mateo paid an institutional visit to the science fair in O Berbés square, accompanied by the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero; Vice-Rector for Knowledge Transfer, Rafael Comesaña; Gain Director, Carmen Cotelo; and Vigo Deputy Mayors Carmela Silva and Ana Mejías. “G-Night is a perfect example of the University of Vigo’s commitment to bringing science closer to the public and showcasing the value and impact of our research. It allows us to explain, in an accessible way, what our teams are working on, the questions they are asking, the problems they are trying to solve and how science contributes to our everyday lives,” said the Rector, who also highlighted the importance of initiatives such as this in bringing children closer to science and research. “A public university must generate knowledge, but it must also share it and make it understandable and useful to society. G-Night allows us to do this in an open and participatory way, in collaboration with the entire Galician research system,” García Mateo explained.
G-Night, which is now held in more than 450 cities across Europe, is organised in Vigo with the collaboration of Vigo City Council and support from the Social Council of the University of Vigo.
Science fair and boat trip around the ría
Transformed into large spaces for scientific experimentation, the Redeiras building and O Berbés square gave visitors the opportunity to explore fields such as marine science. The CIM’s XM3 group surprised participants with its workshop Plants are not (only) green, while the CIM activity Oysters and Stars invited children and adults to enjoy a theatre and puppet performance highlighting the role of women in science, followed by a microscopy and aquaculture workshop.
CIM’s G-Night programme in Vigo was rounded off with a scientific boat trip to explore the seabed of the ría aboard Inndaga, the Marine Research Centre’s vessel. During the trip, different samples were collected and later analysed by participants at the science fair.
CIM holds the Cigus recognition awarded by the Xunta de Galicia, certifying the quality and impact of its research, and its activities are co-funded by the European Union through the ERDF 2021–2027 programme.
Source: DUVI
