Drive CUCBA science outreach ecosystem with new diploma

Create NETWORK of popularizers Committed to communicating science, and promoting this discipline as a tool to advance scientific topics, is the objective of Diploma in the Ecosystem of Scientific Dissemination “From Idea to Experience”, which prepares the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias (CUCBA) from the Universidad de Guadalajara.

The diploma course is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, journalists and communicators, cultural managers, museum professionals, teachers, scientific entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to acquire tools to communicate science with rigor and quality.

This is how this diploma program emerged, based on two seemingly separate paradigms: a solid conceptual foundation supported by top-level speakers , and practical methodologies to turn ideas into outreach projects that reach society.

The program includes in-person and virtual activities, workshops, and master classes so that interested parties can develop their outreach projects and, at the same time, generate and strengthen an outreach ecosystem that encourages society to get closer to scientific topics in Jalisco.

The first of these master classes will take place on October 17th in the Enrique Díaz de León Auditorium, led by activist and educator Carla Escoffié , who will share knowledge about ethics, law and the democratization of knowledge.

The last of the talks will be given by María Elena Beyer Ruiz , director of Universum, the Science Museum of UNAM , who will arrive at the Museum of Environmental Sciences with a dialogue that will focus on how science transcends its spaces to become outreach that impacts societies.

In addition, specialists such as Lenin Martell Gámez, director of Channel 14 in Mexico City; Kenya Ortiz Cadena, teacher of the UdeG specialized in critical thinking; Juan Nepote, popularizer and literary researcher; as well as Agustín del Castillo, journalist specializing in environmental issues.

Also participating in the training will be Omar García , news director of Canal 44; Roberto Rojo , science communicator; Lauro Rodríguez , reporter for NTR Guadalajara ; José Carlos Toral, journalist for Canal 44; Violeta Meléndez, biologist and environmental journalist for Canal 44; Liliana Tobar, communicator and influencer; Lumara, the Biologist, stand-up comedian and communicator, among others.

“This diploma program aims to train science communicators as multimodal science communicators capable of designing, producing, and evaluating communication systems that are rigorous, ethical, transmedia, and inclusive,” explained Dr. Laura Mares Ortega, coordinator of the diploma program.

He explained that other objectives of the diploma program are to develop ethical and verification skills to combat misinformation; strengthen scientific rigor and create coherent narratives to apply techniques such as storytelling , citizen science or activations that allow science to be translated into accessible content.

Those interested in this diploma program can register and request more information by emailing divulgacion@cucba.udg.mx or calling 33-3777-1150, extension 33294; ​​further details can also be found at https://cucba.udg.mx/diplomado_divulgacion

The diploma program closes its registration on October 10, 2026 and is scheduled to last four months, starting on October 16, 2026 and ending on February 27, 2027.

Strengthen outreach tools

The headmistress of CUCBA, doctor Graciela Gudiño CabreraHe indicated that this institution works to promote science that benefits society, so this diploma program is another tool to connect and inspire society to learn more about scientific topics.

"At CUCBA We have always been interested in this topic. It is very important to communicate what we do in the laboratory"From a scientific dialogue, seemingly very complex, to transmit it to society so that it knows what we do, which is for the benefit of everyone at the level of science," he said.

This diploma program originated in the UdeG; Nevertheless, The aim is for it to have a considerable reach in Western Mexico The academic secretary of the CUCBADr. César Ruvalcaba Gómez.

He indicated that although information is readily available today, not all of it is reliable or scientifically sound; given this, he raised the need for more professionals who question information, analyze it, and present narrative content with form, coherence, and rigor for the public that consumes it.

" Universidad de Guadalajara It must not only produce science, but also make it available to everyone, and disseminating science must be translating without impoverishing it. communicate clearly without sacrificing rigor and find other ways to connecting knowledge with real-world problems in society"He said.

The Deputy Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research, Dr. Jaime Andrade Villanueva, emphasized that science outreach is one of the priority areas for integrating more scientists into the National System of Researchers (SNII), which represents an opportunity to transcend the laboratories and bring the results and advances of their research to society.

“It is very important that all the knowledge being generated in the world can be transferred to communities, especially in a scenario where there is a large amount of information that is not necessarily true. Who better than the researchers who generate this science to disseminate this knowledge to different populations ?” he asserted.

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Text: Pablo Miranda Ramírez
Photo: Abraham Aréchiga