Article on the project and NEPA group

Article in Portuguese (BR)

(translated)

In the midst of a pandemic, the Center for Teaching and Research in Astronomy at the State University of Amazonas (NEPA / UEA) won the approval of yet another international project financed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Titled “Covid-19 in Amazonas: Astronomy strikes back!” (Covid-19 in Amazonas: Astronomy strikes back!) ”, The project comes with a proposal for educational construction, socio-cultural inclusion and a reflection on the building of a new world scenario with actions to combat the disease.

Of all the proposals submitted by astronomers from around the world, NEPA’s was among the best, which is why the funding was granted. In its scope, UEA through NEPA’s mission is to bring Astronomy content to the other Portuguese-speaking, Anglo-Saxon and Japan countries.

The NEPA coordination points out that, the execution of the project is, above all, a message of optimism and hope to the world, in particular, to Amazonas that has suffered a lot with COVID-19.

“So far, health professionals have taken the lead in the actions, however, we need to guarantee for those who are in their homes the right to Quality Education and mental health – given that the number of people in depression increased during isolation Social. The approval of this project is an opportunity to keep young people connected to Science and Technology. Likewise, it is time to do Science through the exchange of experience with young people from other countries and cultures ”, said coordinator Nélio Sasaki.

The coordinator also stresses that all this was only possible due to the infrastructure that the UEA provided to NEPA. Currently the group is formed by 15 scholarship students in 16 projects – 14 of University Extension and 02 in the scope of Scientific Initiation in Astronomy. The presence of the Research-Teaching-Extension triad gives NEPA projects a technical-scientific approach, in addition to penetrating socio-cultural issues. Nélio emphasizes that the scholarship student, Ilcleane Rocha, is running for the renowned Patrícia Tomkins award.

“I consider the dialogue that UEA has with the people of Amazonas to be essential. Through the production of materials that will be made available on digital platforms – students, teachers and many families will have access to quality content – produced and reviewed by a professional in the field. All NEPA women are doing wonderful jobs in order to contribute positively to the fight against covid-19 ”, pointed out Sasaki.

About NEPA

NEPA is a research group formed by women that aims to present projects related to sustainable development proposed by UNESCO / UN / IAU. The group also defends the importance of the participation of the female public in Science, in particular, in Astronomy.