The University of Vigo is joining the celebration of the Day of Science in Galician on 4 November, with a series of activities throughout the month aimed at promoting the use of the Galician language in scientific contexts. This year, the university is introducing 'Seduciendo con ciencias' (Seducing with sciences), a scientific speed dating event designed to engage participants with researchers in Galician.
Seducing with sciences
The 'Seduciendo con ciencias' event will take place on 26 November in Vigo, with a morning session for the university community and an afternoon session open to the public at the Redeiras building. Participants will engage in three-minute individual meetings where researchers will present their scientific projects in an attempt to captivate their audience. Attendees will then choose the project that intrigues them the most, creating a 'scientific match' based on communication effectiveness.
The morning session is scheduled from 11:00 to 12:30 at the Incuvi space in Plaza Miralles, while the afternoon session will run from 17:00 to 18:30 at the Redeiras building, open to anyone aged 12 and above. Registration is required via a form on Eventbrite. Nearly 20 researchers will participate, covering topics such as sociology, biotechnology, translation for dubbing, plant physiology, cybersecurity, and prehistoric archaeology. There will also be surprises, including the chance to participate in a blind date with a researcher.
Second edition of the 'Gargallada científica' monologue competition
The second edition of the 'Gargallada científica' competition invites researchers to creatively explain their work in Galician through original three-minute videos. Registration opens on 4 November at 12:00 and will close on 3 December. The videos should present a scientific or technological topic in an engaging manner for a non-specialist audience, adhering to specific technical guidelines.
Participants must submit their videos or download links to ucc@uvigo.gal, including their contact details in the message. The videos that meet the criteria will be published on the UCC+i YouTube channel. The competition will award a single prize, an audiovisual kit valued at 500 euros, with the jury evaluating the educational content, creativity, humour, and technical quality of the submissions. The winner will be announced on 4 December.
Selection of scientific terms
Additionally, the programming for the Day of Science in Galician will feature the third edition of the 'Selection of scientific terms', a mini-glossary aimed at preserving terminology from various fields of knowledge. This publication will include concepts from mathematics, astronomy, and botany, with contributions from experts in these areas.
These activities are part of the annual outreach plan of the UCC+i at the University of Vigo, titled 'Ciencia de ida y vuelta' (Science back and forth), funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The initiative also involves researchers in the early stages of their careers, supported by the Xunta de Galicia's programme for doctoral candidates, co-financed by the European Union under the FSE+ Galicia 2021-2027 programme.
