The Faculty of Geography and History takes part in the second edition of Little Glimpses, with seven participating researchers

Iniciativa impulsada per la UCC+I amb motiu del Dia Internacional de la Dona i la Nena en la Ciència.

Seven researchers from the Faculty of Geography and History are taking part this year in the Little Glimpses project, an initiative promoted by the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+I) of the University of Barcelona on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. They are Mireia Comas, Mireia Freixa, Laia Manonelles, Roberta Bruna Mentesana, Alba Petit, Montserrat Sanz i Esther Travé. The programme, now in its second edition after last year’s great success, aims to bring the work of women scientists closer to primary school pupils and to encourage new research vocations among younger generations.

Specifically, and ultimately, 36 researchers from different fields of knowledge —out of an initial group of 56 participants, including twelve researchers from the faculty— will visit the 32 schools registered in the programme, spread throughout Catalonia. One of the most notable features of the project is its territorial scope, which includes schools located especially in small municipalities such as Bonastre and Masllorenç (Baix Penedès), Olesa de Bonesvalls (Alt Penedès) or Sant Pau de Segúries (Ripollès). This decentralised approach has made it possible to broaden the impact of the initiative and bring the role models of UB’s women scientists to places where it is often more difficult to access activities of this kind.

Each researcher will conduct three one-hour face‑to‑face sessions with the children, establishing a close and ongoing relationship with the 56 participating groups —a total of 1,308 pupils. During these sessions, the boys and girls will discover the daily work of research professionals, their career paths, and the challenges of their discipline. At the end, each school will develop a group project that reflects the learning they have shared.

Gender inequality in research remains a reality: in 2023, only 27% of Spanish universities were headed by women rectors, and female full professors represented 27% of the total (36% at UB). Initiatives such as Little Glimpses aim to help reverse this situation. As Vice-Rector Maria Feliu points out, it is essential “to pass on to the protagonists of future generations the opportunities that the world of research offers to women and the passion with which women scientists live their profession.”

Via NotíciesUB