Tributes to Fidel as part of Cuban Science Day celebrations

Tributes to Fidel as part of Cuban Science Day celebrations

Villa Clara, Jan 16th – Various activities were held on the occasion of Cuban Science Day in Villa Clara, the province chosen to host this year’s national celebrations given its results in the field. The event featured a heartfelt tribute to Fidel, the father of Cuban scientific development.

During a panel discussion entitled “Fidel, our greatest scientist,” in which Dr. Sergio Rodríguez, director of the National Tropical Root Vegetable Research Institute (INIVIT) participated; together with Zenaida Rodríguez, head of the Center for Bioactive Chemicals; Osvaldo Fernández, director of the Institute of Plant Biotechnology; and Gisel González, from the Experimental Toxicology Unit; the role of the leader of the Cuban Revolution in the creation of several scientific centers in Villa Clara, and his broad vision of the role of science in the future development of the country, were emphasized.

In this regard, Dr. José Luis García Cuevas, the first to lead the Villa Clara Scientific Pole, highlighted the importance of in-depth study of the thinking of the Comandante en Jefe regarding science, environmental preservation and innovation, all of which constitute an inexhaustible source of wisdom, of extraordinary utility for the current and future plans of the nation.

During the activity, which was presided by Olga Lidia Tapia, member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat; and Julio Lima Corzo and Jorgelina Pestana Mederos, leaders of the Party and the government in this province, respectively; Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya, congratulated Villa Clara for its sustained efforts in the implementation of an integrated strategy of science, technology and the environment, in addition to the implementation of several projects aimed at solving problems of the territory and the nation.

She also noted that the main challenge facing Cuban scientists and innovators today is to continue working to apply the results obtained, as well as fulfill the tasks of the 7th Party Congress, which require a different way of doing science, with a multidisciplinary, integral approach, prioritizing the development of productive chains, among other requirements.

She stressed that the fact that today the island has a total of 200 entities dedicated to science, technology and innovation, in addition to 130 research centers and 19 providing scientific and technological services, in which more than 56 thousand people work, of which almost half are women, is a great achievement of the sector.

Fidel Castro Díaz Balart, a scientific advisor to the Council of State, was a guest of honor at the celebrations, while various personalities and scientific institutions received diplomas and recognitions, including from the provinces of Guantánamo, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, which together with Villa Clara, saw outstanding results in this field last year.(Granma)