La Crue, which brings together the rectors of 76 Spanish universities, is committed to promoting scientific culture as a basic element in the formation of the person.
This has been expressed by the association on the occasion of the International Day of Scientific Culture, which is celebrated on September 28 to commemorate the start of the broadcasts of Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ series.
According to a statement released by Crue, this year, organizations from practically all continents have joined this initiative by promoting activities that demonstrate the importance of scientific culture.
“Dissemination, together with education and scientific communication, is one of the pillars that sustains scientific literacy in society, essential for citizens to be more critical and responsible in decision-making and to be more committed to current challenges “says La Crue.
La Crue recalls that, in these almost two years marked by the pandemic, the information disseminated has fostered a “majority confidence” in the solutions provided by the scientific community. “Having a culture that allows us to understand the role of science as a transforming element of society is essential,” he considers.
Thus, the universities play a “fundamental role” for the rectors, when it comes to “closing the gap between society and the scientific community, bringing to the streets the daily reality of an inclusive, egalitarian and sustainable science that reflects social diversity. , intellectual and physical of the citizenship “.
In this sense, the Units of Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC + i) of Spanish universities have the specific mission of showing the importance and impact of the work of scientists in society and increasing their interest in science, technology and innovation. “The rapprochement between citizens and the scientific community with a new way of understanding and disseminating it is its leitmotif”, says La Crue.
In any case, the Crue recalls that the universities have assumed “a large part” of the mandate that Article 44 of the Constitution grants to the public powers to “promote scientific and technical research for the benefit of the general interest.”
They also comply with article 93 of the Organic Law of Universities that entrusts them with the responsibility of promoting “the rapprochement of humanistic and scientific cultures” and of “transmitting knowledge to society through the dissemination of science.”
But to guarantee that right of access to culture claimed by the Magna Carta, it is necessary, according to the association, that public administrations “promote activities conducive to the improvement of the scientific and technological culture of society through education, training and dissemination “, as indicated in article 38 of the Law of Science.
“We need a society trained and capable of understanding the importance of science as a tool to improve and find solutions to today’s great challenges. A society that has rigorous information is better prepared to make decisions and is, in the end, a society more free, “he concludes.
