Luciana Santos takes over the Ministry of Science and Technology

The new Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Luciana Santos, took charge of the portfolio today (2) during the handover ceremony in Brasília. The minister is the first woman to head the ministry. In the speech, the minister said that she will honor the country’s women researchers. “This administration will honor the thousands of women who produce and research in this country, their fight for respect, inclusion and appreciation. This management will honor the anti-racist struggle and the struggle of black people for space in graduate school and in the research field, ”she declared. The new minister said that she will work for science and technology to be pillars of national development. The minister also made a commitment to recompose the portfolio’s budget. “We will also work to update research grants from CNPq and Capes, essential for human capital. Research scholarships cannot be treated as handouts, but as an investment in the country’s future. We cannot allow the evasion of talents”, she said. Minister Luciana Santos also highlighted the importance of Brazilian research and cited the Butantan Institute and the Osvaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) as global references in development during the covid-19 pandemic. “These two institutions confirmed the robustness and quality of the national science and technology system, whose operation depends mainly on the State. Most of the scientific research carried out in the country is carried out at universities. Contrary to the narrative, university is not a place of turmoil, it is a place of knowledge and development”, she said. The minister confirmed that she should review the liquidation of the National Center for Advanced Electronic Technology (Ceitec), a state-owned company that produces electronic chips. Profile Luciana Santos holds a degree in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). She is the national president of the PCdoB. Before taking office, she was a federal deputy for two terms (2011-2018), mayor of Olinda, state deputy, in addition to being the first woman to hold the position of deputy governor of the state, in 2018. She also chaired the Pernambuco Institute of Weights and Measures and the Secretariat for Science, Technology and the Environment.

Agência Brasil