News

This event, held today for the launch of the UC3M’s Week of Solidarity, was attended by the UC3M’s president, Juan Romo, and the president of the University’s Social Council, Matías Rodríguez Inciarte, to award the Grants for Actions of Commitment to Society at the UC3M. In this scheme, that is being carried out for the first time, the projects’ alignment with the University’s lines of Commitment to Society, their multidisciplinarity and social impact have been evaluated, among other criteria. In total, 28 proposals have been submitted and 15,000 euros have been shared out among the eight selected, which are related to topics on gender, disability and development cooperation.

Prevention of misogynistic violence and the gender gap

A project for the prevention of gender violence through the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning received the highest amount: 3,400 euros. The proposal, developed by the research group UC3M4Safety, consists of the creation of a database of victims’ reactions to gender violence. This tool, the first of this type in academia according to the researchers, will contain labels to classify the emotions and the physical and physiological effects that occur. As well as being used for research in this field, this database could later be used to design intelligent algorithms that could determine when a person is experiencing a stress, fear or panic attack.

On another note, with the aim of closing the gender gap in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), the project ST3Moment for Girls, submitted by the Student Support Service, in collaboration with the UC3M’s Equality Unit and School of Engineering, will receive 1,200 euros to carry out different activities that intend to encourage scientific/technological vocations among secondary school girls.

Another of the grants has been awarded to the proposal from the OAN UC3M Association, which will receive 600 euros to boost the holding of the International Gender Violence Day on 25th November, in Nikki (Benin). This event will revolve around a march and a theatrical performance, and will be about raising awareness of the problem of violence against women. Furthermore, this project aims to boost the holding of this event every year until it becomes a local custom that can be managed by local actors.

Inclusion of people with disabilities

The project that is going to be carried out by the West Syndrome Foundation, awarded 3,000 euros, proposes the organisation of weekend camps geared for children suffering from this syndrome and other related syndromes. This grant, that the organisation will allocate to its adapted leisure programme, will allow different types of activities, specifically geared for these groups, to be carried out.

What is more, the UC3M’s Humanities Area in collaboration with psychiatric professionals have proposed the holding of a seminar, funded with 1,400 euros, to address different aspects of psychiatry and psychopathology in documentary cinema. This action, aimed especially at students studying degrees in Audio-visual Communication, Humanities and Journalism, consists of five sessions with guests from different fields of knowledge to offer reflections on the way mental illness is represented in image.

The project COMuniDANZA, submitted by the UC3M’s Hall of Arts service and that will be developed in collaboration with Plena inclusión Madrid (Full inclusion Madrid) and with the Maite León psycho ballet company, has received 1,200 euros’ funding. The aim: to create a stable project that promotes the accessibility of performing arts for people with functional diversity during the academic year 2018/19 Incluida la Danza (Dance Included). For this, they will try to provide understanding and enjoyment of music and dance in real time as a tool for performing arts creation.

Development cooperation

The project, that is going to be developed by the Africa Direct Foundation, funded with 3,000 euros, consists of the installation of solar panels for three already-built multipurpose halls in three villages of the Gumuz tribe, in Gublak (Ethiopia). This area, with a population of 5,000 inhabitants, is located at 575 km northwest of the capital city Adís Abeba, around a 12 hour drive away.

These grants from the Social Council will also allow a grant to be funded for international volunteering in university development cooperation projects, with a funding amount of 1,800 euros. This proposal, submitted by the University Development Cooperation Office for the development of the UC3M’s International Relations and Cooperation Service, aims to encourage the participation of university students in volunteering and international cooperation.