The URJC trains future international scientists

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The project will last for a total of three years, during which participating students will develop introductory activities to research at their home universities in the United States. In the months of June and July, the future researchers will travel to Spain to develop a research project.

The objectives of this program, financed by the National Science Foundation American, are both scientific and sociocultural. "Scientifically, it is intended to motivate young researchers for the study and conservation of ecosystems of high ecological value and very widespread, both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the southern United States," they explain from the Biodiversity and Conservation Area. From a sociocultural point of view, they add that "the objective is to bring students and future researchers from both sides of the Atlantic closer together thanks to scientific collaboration and participation in a whole series of activities that will take place during the stay."

The first edition of the program has been inaugurated this week with the celebration of the "GYP-NEXTGEN Conference: Training future scientists". This meeting took place on the Móstoles Campus with the support of the URJC's own research promotion program and aid for holding scientific conferences from ESCET. The Conference was opened by Professor of Ecology Adrián Escudero, an international reference for the study of these unique environments. In addition, experts in the study of diversity that develop on gypsum soils from all the institutions involved have presented their lines of research. The students who are going to develop their projects in Spain over the next few months have also played a leading role in the programming.

The researchers Ana García-Cervigón, Aranzazu Luzuriaga, Silvia Matesanz and Ana Sánchez participate in this program. Together with the URJC, the University of Almería and the Pyrenean Institute of Ecology (CSIC) also collaborate in this project. On the US side, a total of three universities participate: New Mexico State University (New Mexico), John Carroll University (Ohio) and Oberlin College (Ohio).