Curiosity, perseverance, commitment, and vocation. These are all qualities of a researcher, and indeed of any human being with a passion for achieving a goal, a dream. For researchers, the pursuit of truth is their calling.
La Universidad Austral The event, "Encounters with the University," was held at various universities to promote its Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations (VocAr) among undergraduate students. The meeting, organized by the Faculty of Communication as part of the Crystnetwork project, was moderated by Professor Reynaldo Rivera, principal investigator of the project.
Domingo Tarzia, Vice-Rector of Research at the Austral University of Argentina (UA), opened the meeting that brought together students with university researchers working in conjunction with CONICET (National Scientific and Technical Research Council). “At Austral University, we try to awaken and promote the scientific vocations of our students,” Tarzia began. “And to achieve this,” he continued, “an institution that provides scholarships, like CONICET, is necessary. But you also need a great mentor, a mentor who is dedicated to guiding that person through their doctoral and postdoctoral studies.”
Tarzia considered that getting a doctorate is "the beginning of life," since those who train in research have the possibility of continuing their path in science, training young people in universities, or working in companies or industries.
Dr. Juan Gallo, director of the Institute for Translational Medicine Research (IIMT CONICET-Austral), a multidisciplinary center with 14 lines of research related to biomedicine, concurred with this view. There, not only are scientists conducting research daily, but also young fellows and interns working alongside them. “Furthermore, two startups initiated by researchers trained here, and have partnered with companies in the biotechnology sector. A demonstration that also falls within the framework of CONICET and the Universidad Austral There is a very strong interaction with the industry. This is key, of course, without losing the individual identity of each of its players.”
In a context where the State's investment in science is being debated, Dr. Jorge Aquino, an independent researcher at CONICET and head of the Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at IIMT, considered it crucial that the State invest in research and scholarships, like any country seeking to innovate: "From basic research projects, which may seem hidden, ideas emerge that generate fundamental innovations for the world."
“Our country has difficulties, that’s very clear, but not investing in research is condemning ourselves to poverty and scientific stagnation. Argentina has brainpower, there are very good researchers, and we have great opportunities to improve through science,” Aquino added.
A long road
For Lourdes Perea Muñoz, Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs, a doctorate is a starting point, not a destination. “It’s a first step, after which one must continue to gain autonomy and capacity. It’s a journey that must be undertaken,” she explained. She also believes that it not only goes hand in hand with vocation and a sense of service to research, but should also be integrated into “each person’s life project.”
Finally, together with Dr. Florencia Coronel, head of the Cancer Pain Laboratory at IIMT and adjunct researcher at CONICET, the students listed the attributes of a researcher's profile. In addition to those already mentioned at the beginning, the young people added discipline, dedication, adaptability, flexibility, patience, and the ability to question, communicate, and work as part of a team.
“Curiosity drives researchers to ask questions. Research is a stage of constant learning in which results emerge, and from them, we build something else. The processes are long; a doctoral project takes five years. Experiments must be repeated, and this is where we must avoid feeling the anxiety of reaching an immediate result. Patience, discipline, dedication, and perseverance, despite the obstacles,” Coronel elaborated on the work and vocation of science.
“There are millions of examples in science of how you propose something and then things emerge from other directions, so you have to be able to adapt and be flexible,” he added. At the same time, he emphasized communication: “Researchers are also communicators of the results of our work. When we go to a conference, we write a paper or we perform in other countries. And when we teach a class, because many of us are also teachers.”
Finally, the young people highlighted passion, which Coronel described as a common and fundamental characteristic of all researchers to continue moving forward.
