"I am convinced that, with young science, with people like you, committed, who live with an intensified blockade, who have lived through the most complicated years of the revolutionary process, the country will continue to advance," said the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, to representatives of the new generations, at the constitution, on Tuesday, of the Youth Innovation Committee (CIJ), in the theater of the Center for Neurosciences of Cuba.
The Head of State stressed that young Cuban scientists, as they demonstrated with the achievement of vaccines and other medicines to face COVID-19, have found "from their professional preparation and from their vision of science and their contribution, a life project that makes personal aspiration coincide with social aspiration, and when that is strengthened and there are roots, undoubtedly there are essences for the country to move forward," he said.
In the report on the creation of the CIJ it was recalled that, at the closing of the 12th. Díaz-Canel invited the leadership of the organization "to bring together young scientists and innovators to create spaces that allow us to socialize ideas in search of solutions".
Therefore, he added, the organization, "as part of the updating of the Strategy to strengthen the integral role of the UJC, youth movements and student organizations in the present and future of the Homeland, proposes, as an objective, to identify and promote, from the Youth Technical Brigades (BTJ), young people and student researchers with innovation skills for the economic and social transformation of the country".
The President was accompanied in this, his first exchange with the Committee, by the member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda; by the member of the Central Committee of the Party and head of its Department of Attention to the Social Sector, Susely Morfa González; and by the first secretary of the National Committee of the UJC, Meyvis Estévez Echavarría.
The Head of State explained the purpose of maintaining, in a systematic way, by themes, meetings with young scientists and innovators to address issues they are working on, to follow up on their contributions, and also on the problems that this sector may have.
Many of the issues that we discuss in the Committee, he said, can be channeled through the National Innovation Council, the Academy of Sciences, Citma, and you also have to be "glued" to public policies, such as one that you have to address, which is the Policy for the care of children, adolescents and young people.
YOUTH WISDOM
During the exchange, Díaz-Canel talked with about a dozen young scientists and innovators from different fields, such as biotechnology, medicine, agriculture -including scientists and producers-, universities, the social sciences sector, transportation...
Dr. Daniela Martínez, who graduated three years ago and is a first degree specialist in Cardiology, commented on the results of her research aimed at ensuring that patients undergoing oncological treatment do not compromise their cardiovascular health.
Her study, based on the limitations imposed by the blockade, which prevents and makes technologies such as echocardiograms more expensive, makes it possible to issue medical criteria based on cheaper and more accessible procedures, such as electrocardiograms. For this reason, it deserved an Annual Health Award.
Lil María, from the Martí's Program Office, praised the fact that the CIJ also has its anchors in the Social Sciences, including the cultural field; while Daniela, from the National Center for Biopreparations (Biocen), ratified the commitment of Cuban youth to continue contributing, from science and technology, as was done during COVID-19, in the search for solutions, for alternative solutions to our problems; "that is what corresponds to us young people", she affirmed.
Several scientists and innovators in the agricultural sector spoke about their results and needs, such as Miguel Antonio, professor at the University of Pinar del Río, who has incorporated computer tools to agronomy in order to multiply agricultural extensionism; or Yusdany, an outstanding pig farmer who also grows sugar cane and tobacco, and who called to continue developing science and innovation as the only way to move forward, as he himself proves every day on his farm.
