The eleventh edition of the ISGlobal Doctoral Symposium the past took place October 8 in it PRBB Auditoriumbringing together dozens of doctoral students for a day of exchange and reflection. under the topic “Global Health and the New World Order” (Global Health and the New World Order), the event offered them a platform on which to present their progress and discuss current challenges in global health.
The day opened with a welcome from the Organizing Committee of the Doctoral Symposium (Camila Awad, Guilherme Queiroz and Angeline Cruz), from Núria Casamitjana, president of the Predoctoral Committee, and from Quique Bassat, general director of ISGlobal.
Nuria Casamitjana highlighted the importance of the event, pointing out that ISGlobal currently has 145 doctoral students from 44 countrieswhich represents the 25% of staff. For his part, Quique Bassat encouraged participants to make the most of the day: «I wish you a successful day and an even more successful doctorate, with a purpose; with the exciting perspective of working for a better, healthier and more global world.»
global health and scientific responsibility
To begin the day, two conferences set the tone for the central theme of the symposium.
Dr. Robert Newman opened the program with “Repositioning the value of global health in an era of polarization” (Rethink the value of global health in an era of polarization), reflecting on the challenges of maintaining optimism and commitment in a context of growing distrust in science.
“We live in complicated times,” he said. “We must put ourselves in the shoes of those who are skeptical about research, remain empathetic, remain committed and be present to define the future of science.” global health. With passion, optimism, vision and collective leadership, we can transform even a seemingly polarized world.”
In the second conference, Dr. Charlie Gardner addressed the role of the scientific community in the face of the planetary emergency and the importance of adopting an active stance in the face of social and environmental challenges. His presentation, «From publications to public actions? The roles and responsibilities of scientists in a planetary emergency», (“From “publications” to public action? The roles and responsibilities of science in a planetary emergency)”, he urged to build bridges between science and social mobilization.
“We investigate to generate knowledge, but not only that,” he said. «We generate knowledge to make the world a better place. Our contribution is to provide information that policymakers can use. We must remember that it is a battle of interests, and our voice must be strong.»
Research in a changing world
One of the highlights of the day was the round table with the participation of Carolyn Daher, Silvia de Sanjosé, Silvia Gómez Araujo and Isabelle Munyangaju. The panel analyzed how the rise of authoritarianism affects the freedom of research, funding and international collaborationinviting reflection and promoting contributions from attendees.
Throughout the day, the doctoral students presented the research they are working on through oral presentations and short formats, to include a wide range of topics in global health. The sessions promoted dialogue and exchange of ideas within the ISGlobal research community.
The symposium conclusions with the closing words of Denise Naniche, scientific director of ISGlobalwho reflected on the purpose of scientific research: «We are here because we want to make the world a better place. Maintaining that motivation can be difficult, when analyzes drag on, experiments fail, or data collection does not go well. But those small steps are part of “a whole.” Your work matters; it is the basis of scientific evidence and the social change of tomorrow.”
Future career prospects, a key topic at the Postdoctoral Symposium
Also at the PRBB, six days later, the ISGlobal Postdoctoral Symposium was held. The event opened with a welcome speech by Manolis Kogevinas, who commented on the role of science in the current complex and challenging global context.
The program included a combination of participatory activities, discussions and opportunities to connect with other researchers. he professional development workshopdirected by TPM Scienceinvited participants to reflect on what drives them to engage in research, explore their future career prospects and identify the key values they seek in a work environment.
During the career dashboard (Career Panel), three speakers shared their diverse career paths and points of view; he Dr. Santi F. Gómez, Gavin Lucas and Alicia Santamaría Orleans. The first speaker explained his experience in community interventions to prevent childhood obesity, while the other two professionals spoke about the importance of scientific communication and the relationship between academia and industry.
The symposium, organized by Elisa Gallo, Nicola Palma, Sarah Warkentin and Iris Lopes, concluded with a collective debate on organizational issues and future perspectives for the ISGlobal postdoctoral community.
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