Cristina Galán, PhD student at BCAM, participated in the new edition of ‘Peer Encounters’, organized by Bizilabe Bilbao

On March 19,  Bizilabe's "Peer Enconunters" was held at the Ensanche Building in Bilbao, an initiative by the Bilbao City Council and Elhuyar.

The event addressed the projects involving 19 women from Bilbao in the professional field of science and technology and 90 young people aged between 10 and 16 from the Bizilabe Bilbao program. Cristina Galán, a PhD student at BCAM, participated in this event.

Each table had a scientist and a group of young people. The professionals introduced the young people to the work they do, and afterwards, the young people informed the professional about the project they are carrying out in the Bizilabe program.

Through the exchange of ideas, the scientist shared suggestions and advice with the youth, who, by asking questions, had the opportunity to learn about the work of someone who is professionally dedicated to science and technology.
The scientists moved from table to table, repeating the exchange of ideas at each table.

Thanks to this initiative, young people get firsthand knowledge of the work of professionals in science and technology, while also bringing visibility to women in these fields and providing young people with advice to develop the projects they are working on.

"Bizilabe's Peer Encounter is a very enriching experience, where children show their interest in science, challenging stereotypes and bringing it closer in a tangible and real way", declared Cristina Galán.

This event is the 3rd time it has been held in Bilbao.

Bizilabe is an extracurricular activity that was launched in 2017, in which young people work on science and technology. When it comes to getting interested in these areas, the actions carried out in leisure time are very influential. Consequently, the interconnection between the different entities of Bilbao (institutions and organizations, educational centers, companies, families, etc.) is very important, and as a result of this network, among other things, the Peer Encounters arises.