“We want to take our science to the street and let young people form Murcia know everything UCAM does in this field” Estrella Núñez, vice-chancellor for Research at the Catholic University, highlighted during the opening ceremony of the 18th edition of the Science and Technology Week that took place this morning at the Botanical Garden of Paseo del Malecón (Murcia) and organised by the Regional Ministry of Employment, Research and Universities, through the Séneca Foundation.

The scientific and technological activity of the Catholic University of Murcia has been transferred to this place in order to bring science and research closer to society by means of nearly forty practical activities.

The Catholic University of Murcia, through the Research Vice-chancellorship has made available to people of all ages an endless number of activities in which more than two hundred and fifty UCAM volunteers participate, in addition to thirty researchers from the areas of Food, Health, Sport, Esports, Science and Polytechnic Sciences. Some of these have the visitors themselves as protagonists, since their participation is required so that they can experience them first-hand.

Muscular strength assessment and training

In the field of sport, attendees over 50 have the opportunity to perform two tests: the first test measures the decrease in strength and muscle mass and physical performance, and through the second test an assessment is made on the functional capacity of the individual through different physical weight-bearing exercises.

UCAM field hospital 

In another of the institution’s stands, attendees get closer to the teamwork of doctors and nurses in health care at various stages of life: paediatric care, elderly care, childbirth and cardiac arrest. All this with the help of volunteers who will pretend to be a patient.

Elderly for one day. How do you feel?

Similarly, the UCAM Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing allows the public to discover, through a specialised suit, how a person with reduced mobility, visual pathologies and other characteristics of ageing feels.

Strong investment in research

UCAM is strongly committed to research. This is evidenced by its 79 research groups, 13 industrial doctorates, 493 research lines in which they are working and 16 predoctoral contracts. Likewise, the University has allocated 16.8 million in R&D, 5.59 million in R&D projects in companies, 4 million in national and external R&D projects. Finally, it is the private university in the country that has grown the most in scientific publications with more than 600.

Until Sunday

It should be remembered that the Science Week activities will continue on Saturday morning from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm; while the last day will be Sunday with a reduced schedule from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.