The ETSi brings together women leaders in science and engineering at the Opening Day of the ARCyTAN 2024-25 program

The Higher Technical School of Engineering (ETSi) of the University of Seville, yesterday hosted a Round Table under the title “Women Leaders of NASA, the Energy of the Future, and Modern Industry”, framed in the ARCyTAN project (High Performance in Science and Technology in Andalusia) which since 2015 has been working with high school students from all over Andalusia, giving them the opportunity to attend the Center regularly to receive pre-university orientation, scientific-technical workshops, technological visits, etc. 

Moderated by Sara Gómez Martín, director of the Women and Engineering Project of the Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain, this meeting brought together top-level professionals such as Elisenda Bou, founder and Head of Technology of Vilynx, a company in the Artificial Intelligence sector of the APPLE group and professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia; Elizabeth Córdoba, Engineer and NASA Project Leader (Mars2020 and Europa Clipper) at JPL (California, USA); Mª Ángeles Martín, founder and president of Skylife Engineering, a leading company in the aerospace sector, and professor at the University of Seville; and Eleonora Viezzer, Lead Researcher of European Nuclear Fusion Projects (ERC Starting Grant and ERC Consolidator Grant), and professor at the University of Seville. 

The experts debated very current topics such as the increasing participation of women in scientific and technological projects; their presence in all areas of large companies and institutions; as well as the need to continue carrying out actions to promote STEM vocations, in which boys and girls from an early age can find role models. 

Their extensive and prolific careers in the field of science and engineering served as a reference for the large audience, whose life stage is located in the years prior to making a decision about their university and work future. A crowd excited to learn about the steps that have led them to occupy the professional position they enjoy today. 

Likewise, all of them highlighted the importance of students choosing freely and without gender conditions their academic future, which must also become their passion and way of life. 

During the afternoon, and prior to the experts' debate table, the Science and Technology Olympiad took place, in which more than 140 high school students, with an average grade of 9 in their studies, took a test of scientific-technical knowledge to be selected and be part of the new group of students of the ARCyTAN 2024-25 program.

After the test, a total of 35 young people will have the opportunity to get to know the Center and its scientific-technological activity during a decisive year for their university future. 

The management of the ETSi launches this program with the main objective of bringing the studies taught at the School, the university environment and the field of engineering closer to the secondary education students of Andalusia. With this, the ETSi aims to encourage the interest of young people in this area of ​​knowledge, so necessary to promote the socio-economic activity of the region.