Today the CAF-Elhuyar awards have been awarded in Usurbil Square
The ceremony of delivery of the prizes CAF-Elhuyar 2012 has begun in the pediment of Usurbil. Thus, the usurbildarras have also had the opportunity to participate in the event together with the people who have presented themselves to the contest and the regular guests who approach each year.
Precisely, this edition has focused on interaction, which is what the organizers have sought when leaving the office and celebrating it in the urban area: Strengthen interaction with the people and citizenship of Usurbil. Therefore, all together have enjoyed the dance performed by a trapeze artist around the moon hung from the roof of the pediment. Previously, several members of Elhuyar have tied the moon string from the logo representing the new era of Elhuyar.
The CAF-Elhuyar prize is also an example of interaction between two entities, the railway company CAF and Elhuyar. He was born 19 years ago and has since evolved continuously. This year they have created a scholarship to support projects that work on the interaction between science and technology and society: science in society.
Therefore, to meet and reward both the winners of the scholarship and the rest of categories, they have come to the House of Culture located next to the pediment, Sutegi.
Astrophysics and genetics, subject of the awarded articles
Under the protection of the room, before the awards ceremony, the people who have formed the jury have presented themselves: José Mari Rodriguez Ibabe, researcher at the CEIT and former president of the Elhuyar Foundation; journalist Txema Ramírez de la Piscina, ecologist Arturo Elosegi, and chemist Marian Iriarte; researchers at the UPV; Josu Rekalde, director of the Department of Art and Technology of the UPV; Koldo Director
First, the prize for scientific journalism has been announced: Gorka Zabaleta, for his work published in the local magazine Baleike de Zumaia. Interview with Ángel Uranga, physicist of the CERN, entitled: “At first the universe was a kind of soup that was very hot.”
The jury highlighted the effort made to respond to the present, the rigour in the choice of the ideal protagonist and the broad scientific theme of a popular magazine.
Zabaleta has given the turn to Isabel Mendizabal on stage. Of it has been the best divulgation article based on the author's thesis. “The gypsy origin, reflected in DNA” is the title chosen unanimously from the works presented by the jury.
Mendizabal has carried out his thesis in the Unit of Evolutionary Biology of Pompeu Fabra University. The jury highlighted that the author has “very well combined the context with his research in molecular anthropology. In addition, he has taken into account not only the results of his research, but also those of his linguists, thus forming a really substantial article.”
The next winner has come from Germany to collect the prize. And it is that there is a doctorate Miguel Querejeta, winner of the scientific divulgation article. Max Planck investigates at the Institute of Astrophysics and his research is related to the article awarded by the jury, “When galaxies are found”.
According to the jury, although the subject is new and high content, the author has made an article “easy to read”. To do this, he has sometimes used the questions and answers that have been asked, for example, “Who hasn’t written secret messages with small lemon juice?”
In the end, specialties: Scholarship and Merit
The following on the stage have been the winners of the scholarship. The selected project is called new value. According to the authors, they want to answer this question, “How to innovate so that it is worth again?” Through it, they want to invite society to give the opportunity to new values. For this purpose, they plan to use a multidisciplinary artistic installation.
The jury has also highlighted the interdisciplinarity in the choice of this project. In addition, it points out that the project meets other criteria to take into account in the valuation of the works, especially in the search for interaction between science and technology and society, social interest and attractiveness.
Thus, the team formed by Arlette Apraiz, Doltza Oararteta, Jaione Ortiz De Zarate, Maider Amutio, Nerea Andres and Oihane Enbeitia has received the fellowship.
Finally, the president of Elhuyar, Txema Pitarke, has awarded the Elhuyar Prize to the Elhuyar Foundation for his work in favor of the normalization of the Basque language in the health field.
In fact, the organization began its journey two decades ago and to date has brought together almost 400 healthcare workers to work for the Basque language. In recognition of this work, the president of the Institute for Euskaldunización de la Salud, Karlos Ibarguren Olalde, has received the Award of Merits.
The event has ended with the words of Pitarke and Ibarguren, but the guests have enlivened the celebration with a good atmosphere, until taking a snack.Zu idazle
Zientzia aldizkaria
