in a new chapter made inn chilespoke with host Varinka Farren Carolina earningsUndersecretary of Science, Technology, Information and Innovation, describing his transition from academia to government, the challenges of this new stage in office and the future goals.

While her appointment as Counselor for Carolina Gainza came as a surprise, it relates to her work for some time with the Association of Arts and Humanities Researchers to be able to position and value the role of the social sciences, arts and humanities. in society. However, this new location brings with it challenges such as field change from university to state, especially being able to work in groups, given that researchers often work alone.

“When I was in college, I devoted myself mainly to writing and researching articles at my own pace. But not here, you work fast here, everything happens fast, you have to keep your eye on two levels, it’s possible, but it also doesn’t go away in the long run.”Gainza added it.

Undersecretary Carolina Gainza underlines the progress they have made in terms of gender policy in the work carried out these months. “We are working to change gender policy. We understand that the quantitative gaps in having more women in research, particularly in the root zones, are significant, but this is a first step.”explained.

He also argued that the barriers to entry for women to be a part of these areas are mainly about a structural problem rather than numbers, so one of the goals is precisely to fix these structural barriers.

Another important challenge is to raise awareness about the importance of social sciences and humanities in our country and their role in future development goals, especially in the transition to an industry marked by innovation. “This should be accompanied by social innovation, there are cultural and social aspects that cannot be overlooked in all these processes, and at this point social sciences and humanities contribute”Carolina Gainza explained.

Faced with these challenges and targets, Undersecretary Carolina Gainza detailed the work carried out by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Information and Innovation and underlined their responsibility. “Encourage scientific-technological innovation, i.e. the production of knowledge that may or may not be converted into a product”I am also expanding that he has works in the field of art. “As the Ministry, we are interested in art research that allows us to research what the processes are or to produce information about the processes that make up creation.”

In line with this work carried out by the ministry, Undersecretary Carolina Gainza reminds us that one of the government’s goals is to reach 1% of the budget by investing in innovation and development.

“Different actors, universities, the Ministry, research centers and the private sector need cooperation. So far we have close to 70% government investment and 30% private participation in research so we can move towards 1%. The government program shows that as a government, we will lay the foundations for progress to the 1%,” he said. Gainza states that he intends to achieve this investment target in the short term, taking into account the impact that investments made in these areas can have for the country and its development.