Faculty of Science majors increased the number of new students by 45% in 2021

The Observer newspaper reported that there has been an increase in the number of new enrollees in the science faculty. This phenomenon has been replicated in the vast majority of the faculties of the University of the Republic.

Since the epidemic began, Uruguayan and global flags have occupied the front page.

Every day, the media is flooded with statements of scholars from all fields. And the citizens are listening. Today science has an excellent reputation.

In the midst of this new golden age of scientific knowledge, enrollment of new students in undergraduate degrees within the College of Science increased by 45% compared to last year.

“All this last year, it’s all scientific, because it’s not just virologists, it had a massive scale. It was a part of our daily life, and it’s no longer science-related news, but it’s become a part of our everyday language for everyone of all ages. Anyone we sit with.” We are talking about antigens, antibodies and messenger RNA. We are talking about things that we did not know existed before, ”said biologist, researcher and teacher Bettina Tassino.

This, in a way, reflects that the epidemic has demonstrated the fact that our entire lives are powered by scientific knowledge. And maybe we simply didn’t pay him much attention before.

Experts say the new batch of students is good news for Uruguay. This may lead to a more diverse and in-depth scientific development in areas that remain unexplored in our country.

However, it also presents major challenges. “The advantage that we have this year is that it does not surprise us like it did last year. We created a series of strategies. For example, making groups smaller in size, this needs to reallocate teaching hours this year. The university did not get any kind. From increasing the budget. What we are doing is redirecting the university’s private resources, ”Tassino said.

Regarding the reallocation of resources and investments for this beginning of classes, Tassino explained that, for example, a large purchase of Zoom licenses has been made to distribute them to teachers and that it will also make Zoom rooms available to students for the sake of defaulting, although slightly, a default gap.