- The conference organized by the Chilean Senate’s commission Desafíos del Futuro is the most important instance for science promotion in the southern hemisphere. During its opening ceremony, President Michelle Bachelet announced a bill to create the Ministry of Science and Technology
Between January 09th and 14th, the 6th version of the Congress of the Future was held in Santiago. The activity is organized by the Chilean Senate’s commission Desafíos del Futuro (Challenges of the Future) and every year it gathers renowned scientists, researchers and humanists from different countries to study and discuss on the problems and challenges that society will have to face in the future.
The conference was held in partnership with the Chilean Academy of Sciences, the Chilean Government, universities and scientific and academic institutions of the country, in a context of collaboration in which sciences get closer to people and connected to daily life. The opening ceremony was held at the Salón de Honor in the National Congress building, in Santiago.
New Ministry of Science and Technology
In the opening ceremony, President Michelle Bachelet announced that the Government would send to the Congress the bill to create the Ministry of Science and Technology.
President Bachelet referred to the need of creating partnerships to strengthen the dialogues that seek to open up to people’s interests and concerns. “The future is a space of possibilities for the life of all of us. The future will be built by common will and action,” she said.
In his presentation during the ceremony, Dr. Juan Manuel Zolezzi, President of Universidad de Santiago de Chile highlighted the University’s interest in science and technology. “The joint efforts of the State and its universities are essential to have these renowned researchers here, who can contribute with their ideas of what the future will bring us in the field of science and technology,” he said.
He added that the Congress of the future has consolidated its position,” as it has become more important every day, with more people involved and more people interested to participate; therefore, we expect to have soon a conference at a Latin American level.”
For his part, Juan Carlos Espinoza Ramírez, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of Universidad de Santiago, besides saying that this conference is the most important scientific event in Chile, said that it is very important for our university to be a protagonist in activities of this type.
The Congress of the Future concluded on January 14th and it included activities both in Santiago and in ten different regions of the country.
Translated by Marcela Contreras
