BarceloNews - Newsletter of the Barcelona Knowledge Hub#
No. 08/2016, June 20, 2016#
PAST EVENT#
June 1-2, 2016RESEARCHING, EDUCATING, DIALOGUING. THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNT FROM JOSÉ MARIANO GAGO (1948-2015) #
AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM HELD AT THE FUNDACIÓN RAMÓN ARECES (Madrid, Spain)#
With the collaboration of the Academia Europaea and Ciência Viva (the Portuguese Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture).
Chaired by: Federico Mayor, President of the Culture of Peace Foundation, and Ricard Guerrero, Academic Director of the Barcelona Knowledge Hub of the Academia Europaea.
The Symposium paid José Mariano Gago (1948-2015) a tribute on the occasion of the first anniversary of his death by remembering his work, which was essential for the improvement of the Portuguese university, and for the setting up and development of several organisms that have allowed the implementation of programmes of the highest scientific, technological and innovative significance at the EU level. In addition, the Symposium also remembered Gago’s decisive role to promote high quality standards for global research, especially among young scientists, and to show us that scientific culture is one of the main bases to achieve a free, democratic society. One of his major achievements was the creation, in 1996, of Ciência Viva, the Portuguese Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture.
Finally, the Symposium remembered Gago’s seminal role in the creation and organisation of different European organizations, among them the European Science Foundation, the European Research Council and, especially, the Academia Europaea. The Academia Europaea was founded in London in 1988, and one of its founding objectives was to help in the development of European policy for research, education and training at the highest levels. Those objectives tried to harmonize and coordinate the traditionally diverse and particular cultures on science and education in different European countries. Through this “unity in diversity,” the original aim of the founders of the Academia Europaea was to create a genuine area of intellectual excellence by recognizing the quality and relevance of all fields of knowledge, and leveraging the experience, culture and tradition of the huge conglomerate of cultures and traditions that make up Europe.
Lectures were given by significant representatives of different organisations, among them the president of the Culture of Peace Foundation, and former Director General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, the president of the Academia Europaea, Sierd Cloetingh, the vice-president of the European Research Council, Núria Sebastian, the former Conseller of Economy and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Andreu Mas-Colell, the Rector of the Complutense University of Madrid, Carlos Andradas, the former secretary general of the European Science Foundation, Enric Banda, the President of the International Union of Biochemical and Molecular Biology Societies, Joan J. Guinovart, and members of several entities, María A. Blasco (INIO), Julio E. Celis (European Academy of Cancer Sciences), Genoveva Martí (ICREA), and Salvador Giner (UB). The closing lecture was given by Sheldon L. Glashow (Boston University-Harvard University).
It must be mentioned the contribution of Portuguese authorities to the success of the Symposium. Besides the co-organisation by Ciência Viva, they were the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of the Portuguese Government, Manuel Heitor, who pronounced the Inaugural Lecture, the Ambassador of Portugal in Spain, Francisco Ribeiro de Menezes, and the President of Ciência Viva, Rosalia Vargas, had interesting interventions, especially remembering the life and work of José Mariano Gago.
UPCOMING EVENTS#
June 30, 20162016 BARCELONA ASTEROID DAY EVENT#
HOW TO DEFLECT ASTEROIDS? ROUND TABLE ABOUT IMPACT HAZARD#
Location: Acadèmia de Ciències de Barcelona, La Rambla, BarcelonaThis outreach event wants to introduce this field of research to the general public and the media. The recent discovery of hundreds of potentially hazardous asteroids and the popularisation of asteroid encounters with our planet increases the public concern about the hazard associated with the impact of asteroids and comets. We want to inform the general public about the initiatives taken by scientists and space agencies in order to increase our capabilities to forecast and palliate the effects of such cosmic disasters.
A new age in space research started with the exploration of solar system minor bodies, being Stardust (NASA) and Hayabusa (JAXA) missions clear examples. Future space missions are aimed to achieve the sample return from Near Earth Asteroids (Osiris-REx and Hayabusa 2) or even to test impact deflection techniques to be used in future hypothetical encounters of our planet with Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. In fact, the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) has born as a join ESA-NASA mission to test the impact deflection technique in binary asteroid 65803 Didymos. That asteroid system is formed by a main asteroid of about 800 m in diameter and its 150-m in diameter satellite. The mission is formed by two spacecrafts: the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) leaded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) of NASA. It is planned that DART spacecraft will impact Didymos moon in order to quantify our ability to deflect asteroids with a projectile. AIM will study the impact from close orbit, also using instruments on board of cubesats.
This Barcelona outreach initiative was born in the framework of the international Asteroid Day that commemorates the fall of Tunguska (on June 30th, 1908). The event wants to offer to the general public, and astronomy enthusiasts an environment for public awareness and open discussion. For more details: http://www.asteroidday.org
LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez (CSIC-IEEC)
Carles E. Moyano-Cambero (CSIC-IEEC)
Marina Martínez-Jiménez (CSIC-IEEC)
Carme Mas (AASCV)
ART AND DESIGN IN BARCELONA. NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, BOSTON.#
July 4, 11, 18-19, 2016Summer 2016 Program
With the collaboration of the BKH-AE
VIDEO on the “BKH-AE in Action” Video Channel#
Inaugural Lecture at the Symposium#
RESEARCHING, EDUCATING, DIALOGUING. THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNT FROM JOSÉ MARIANO GAGO (1948-2015)
By Manuel Heitor, Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal, June 1, 2016. Fundación Ramón Areces, Madrid.
Length: (00:02:50).
Download the Newsletter
, No. 08/2016, June 20, 2016
Website of Barcelona Knowledge Hub
