The Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Adamed Foundation Have Organised the Second Edition of ADAMED SmartUP Academy Workshops in Spain

On 15 October 2023, the Adamed Foundation, in collaboration with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), organised the second edition of ADAMED SmartUP Academy in Spain. This year’s free workshops, attended by nearly 100 secondary school students, were held under the theme “Science in the Anthropocene Era. Chemistry and Physics as the Answer”.

Lecturers from UAB’s Faculty of Science gave a lecture in the auditorium of the Centre de Recerca Matemàtica (CRM), followed by workshops in the faculty’s laboratories. As a result, nearly 100 secondary school students were able to spend an exciting day at the university and see how physics and chemistry can provide answers to the negative impact of human activity on the Earth’s ecosystems. It aims to encourage young people to take up a career in science. The workshops were opened by Lluís Alsedà, PhD, Director of CRM, and Francisco Javier Domingo, Public Affairs Manager at Adamed Laboratorios. The event was part of the 28th Catalan Science Week, organised by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI) and Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia).

Support for gifted youth in Spain

Students participating in the ADAMED SmartUP Academy workshops this year had the opportunity to develop their interest in science and gain their first experience at the university by getting involved in the workshops.

Participants in the physics classes learned, for example, that radioactivity is everywhere. They examined how this phenomenon can address today’s problems through its various scientific, medical and industrial uses. They conducted various experiments to understand the basic concepts involved, such as radioactive decay as well as types and risks of radioactivity.

The young people participating in chemistry labs, on the other hand, checked how to identify metals that contaminate drinking water, thus becoming “environmental detectives”. In addition, they learned how to determine whether a sample was contaminated by nickel, copper or iron. They also had the opportunity to discover the iodine clock, a very impressive reaction that helped them better understand the differences in speeds of chemical reactions.

About ADAMED SmartUP Academy

ADAMED SmartUP Academy is a science and education workshop aimed at secondary school students interested in science. The goal of the initiative is to support young people exceptionally talented at science and enable them to pursue their scientific path with the support of experienced professionals and renowned scientists. The goal is being achieved through the ADAMED SmartUP scholarship programme, organised in Poland, as well as through the ADAMED SmartUP Academy, a series of free and open workshops held in Poland and Spain, conducted in the form of academic classes for young science enthusiasts. ADAMED SmartUP Academy was launched in Spain in 2022. This year’s workshops are the second edition of the initiative in the country where Adamed has had a representative office – Adamed Laboratorios – since 2009. ADAMED SmartUP is organised by the Adamed Foundation, established in 2014 by Adamed Pharma.