Lecture series 'Elhuyar elkarrizketa' to analyze covid-19 and critical thinking

2021/03/25 Andonegi Beristain, Garazi - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Osasuna
• Ingurumena
• COVID-19
• Ekonomia

In order to socialize the influence of Pandemia in different areas of society, the City of Usurbil and Elhuyar have organized in collaboration a series of conferences “Elhuyar Talks”. The presentation of the initiative took place today at the Casa de Cultura Potxoenea in Usurbil. Agurtzane Solaberrieta Mesa, mayor of Usurbil, Jon Abril Olaetxea, general coordinator of Elhuyar, and Garazi Andonegi Beristain, coordinator of the scientific unit of Elhuyar were present.

The lecture series is part of the Zientziakide project launched by Elhuyar to bring science to the public. Zientziakide's mission is to interact science and society through responsible research and innovation (RRI). Zientziakide, therefore, wants to bridge the gap between the Basque scientific system and society, and “Elhuyar Elkarrizketa” wants to deepen this.

To do this, 5 meetings have been organized that will take place on Wednesdays, at 18:30 hours in the house of culture Sutegi, in the portals usurbilkultura.eus and zientzia.eus. The talks will be free, but in order to attend the Sutegi it will be necessary to register previously on the Usurbiltza website for the current capacity limits.

The covid-19 and its influences will be the main themes, but not the only ones. Thus, at its first conference on 14 April, Ana Galarraga of Aiestaran, a member of Elhuyar, will offer a conference entitled “Unlocking the knots of covid-19”, with different approaches and approaches to pandemic and vaccines.

In their second conference, on April 21, Maite Santxo Castiello (in Spanish) and Miren Aranguren Etxarte will address the issue of care. On the one hand, Santxo reflects on the model of surveillance that the Matia Foundation is carrying out with the City of Usurbil and, on the other hand, Aranguren will present the surveillance study carried out in Beterri-Buruntzaldea.

In the third, on 28 April, UPV professor of philosophy, Agustín Arrieta Urtizberea, will talk about critical thinking. We will talk about the need to develop critical thinking to analyze the excess information we receive in a process of rapid and continuous transformation of today's society. Supported by critical thinking, the need to build information based on partial and interested information and evidence will be discussed.

In the fourth session, on 5 May, economist Mirene Begiristain Zubillaga and biologist Arturo Elosegi Irurtia will talk about the need to bet on ecological reconstruction after covid-19. Begiristain and Elosegi are the signatories to the document published by more than 400 Basque scientists. The program will be directed by Ana Galarraga Aiestaran.

In their last conference, on May 12, Xabier Arregi Iparragirre, professor at the UPV/EHU and member of the IXA group, and Xabier Saralegi Urizar of Elhuyar, will talk about the language of artificial intelligence and, in particular, how to give a social vision to the subject. The guide will be Itziar Cortes Etxabe, coordinator of the Elhuyar Language Technologies unit.

Collaboration between the City of Usurbil and Elhuyar

Usurbil City Council is a partner of Elhuyar and a member of the board. The collaboration and relationship between both entities is not new.

In these times when COVID-19 has shown more than ever the need to spread scientific knowledge among citizens, the City of Usurbil and Elhuyar will develop this framework of collaboration through a series of talks. Elhuyar works to achieve a critical, active and egalitarian society, among other objectives, which are assumed by the City of Usurbil.