The University and Caja Rural de Navarra are committed to female, scientific, technological and social leadership.
The Navarre financial institution collaborates with a program promoted by the university center and grants scholarships to female students of STEM degrees.
The "Women's scientific, technological and social leadership" program awards grants to students from Navarra, the Basque Country and La Rioja, who are pursuing STEM degrees in the fields of science, health and technology, as well as a double degree in Law and Philosophy with a diploma in public management. With this program, both the University of Navarra and Caja Rural de Navarra consolidate their commitment to promote the presence of women in those areas where it is still scarce.
"We are aware of the need to promote the presence of women in some professional fields. We have always thought that supporting students with interests in these areas can be a good engine to promote the incorporation of women in these fields," says Ricardo Goñi, Head of Institutions at Caja Rural de Navarra.
Last 19-20 academic year, seven female students received this scholarship: Lucía Hermoso de Mendoza González (Navarra), 2nd year of Medicine; Blanca Sakbé Berrozpe Casado (Álava), 2nd year of Biochemistry; Alexia Ramos Gutiérrez (Álava), 1st year of Biochemistry; Erika Sáenz de Santa María Groten (La Rioja), 3rd year of Biomedical Engineering; Gabriela Novia (Navarra), 2nd year of Biochemistry; Paloma Gutiérrez Sádaba (Navarra), 4th year of Biomedical Engineering; and Leire Goñi Galindo (Navarra), 6th year of Medicine. The latter two students have finished their degree and are entering the working world.
"I am very grateful to be able to be part of this initiative that seeks to enable women to turn our passion into a professional career, under equal conditions and without extra obstacles, in a field where our participation used to be in the background", says Lucía Hermoso de Mendoza. The medical student from Navarre does not hesitate to affirm the need for the continuity and growth of this program, since "science needs women".
Paloma Gutiérrez finished her studies last year at the campus of the University of Navarra in San Sebastián, thanks to the scholarship granted by Caja Rural de Navarra. "Thanks to this scholarship I have been able to study what I wanted and train as an engineer. Now I really want to be able to contribute to society and give back everything I have received", says the Pamplona native, and thanks Caja Rural for the trust it has placed in her.