The MUNCYT in A Coruña and the Faculty of Computer Science at the Universidade da Coruña (UDC) are celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with a series of talks aimed at students from educational institutions. This event aims to promote the full and equal participation of women and girls in science, advance gender equality, and empower women in the scientific and technological fields, all through the outstanding participation of CITIC researchers.

The talks, delivered by scientists and engineers from the research center in the field of computer science, highlight the fundamental role of women in this sector and seek to inspire new scientific and technological vocations among younger students. The event will take place on Tuesday, February 11, from 10:20 to 13:00, and is intended for students in Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, and Vocational Training, with participation recommended from 3rd year of ESO onwards. The activities will be conducted both in-person, with attendance limited to the auditorium’s capacity, and online via a live connection.

Reservations must be made in advance by sending an email to reservascor@muncyt.es or calling 689 578 727. When booking, groups can select the talks they wish to attend. For online participation, technical equipment such as internet access and audiovisual devices will be required in the classroom. Additionally, students are encouraged to submit questions in advance, which will be selected and grouped by similarity.

Program

The program will begin at 10:20 with a welcome address. 10:30 to 11:00 Verónica Bolón Canedo, an engineer and PhD in Computer Science from UDC and a CITIC researcher, will present the talk “Advances and Challenges in Artificial Intelligence—And Why We Still Don’t Need to Fear Robots!”, offering an overview of AI history. Verónica was awarded the 2024 National Research Award in the María Andresa Casamayor category.

11:10 to 11:40 Elena María Hernández Pereira, PhD from UDC and CITIC researcher, will deliver “Cybersecurity and Machine Learning: How Machines Fight Cybercriminals”, explaining how machine learning enhances internet data protection.

11:50 to 12:20 María Martínez Pérez, a CITIC researcher, computer engineer, and PhD from UDC, will present “Exploring the Formula: RFID = Security + Quality – Risks”, discussing how RFID technology improves safety and quality in healthcare processes.

Finally, 12:30 to 13:00 María José Martín Santamaría, PhD in Physics from USC and CITIC researcher in the Computer Architecture group, will close the session with “What is Quantum Computing and Why is It So Revolutionary?”.

Each talk will last 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for student interaction. For more information or inquiries about the event, please contact MUNCYT via reservascor@muncyt.es or 689 578 727.