I am science is «the silent work of the scientist to make the difference between death and life, between despair and hope. It applies to the development of vaccines and medicines, as well as to the fight against climate change. Without research there can be no innovation, and without innovation there can be no progress ». Words and music by the President of the Council of Ministers, Mario Draghi visiting the Infn laboratories of Gran Sasso.
«This year – said Draghi – marks the 35th anniversary of the start of the Gran Sasso Laboratories – proof of the far-sightedness of investments in research centers and scientific infrastructures. Their realization, on the initiative of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, has allowed Italy to establish itself in the physics of elementary particles in the years in which this field emerged. Since then, the Gran Sasso has contributed – and continues to contribute – to many of the most relevant discoveries of our time in the fields of subnuclear, nuclear and astroparticle physics. It is a place capable of attracting brilliant minds from abroad and of enhancing our talents ».
This is why the premier then wanted to emphasize that “research must be at the center of Italy’s growth: with the NRP we invest over 30 billion in education and research”. And then he says: «Realizing the full potential of research means focusing on those who have often been on the margins of this world: women. For too long, top positions in scientific research have been the preserve of men. There are still too few girls who choose scientific studies and only one in 5 chooses the so-called Stem subjects ». For this reason, “over 1 billion” will be invested to enhance teaching and also to “overcome gender stereotypes” and bring the percentage to “35%”.