Voices of Science, the podcast produced by Univalle Online in collaboration with the Journal of Latin American Sciences and Culture and the Andean Road Countries for Science and Technology (ARCST), airs its seventh episode this Wednesday. The conversation turns inward to examine the institutional foundations of scientific development.
The guest is Mgr. Jorge Ruiz de la Quintina, National Director of Research at UNIVALLE (Universidad del Valle, Bolivia). Hosted by Lic. Yelka Aguilera, the episode will explore a question central to the region’s scientific future: how can universities actively construct a lasting science culture, rather than simply producing research outputs?
For decades, discussions of science in Latin America have focused on metrics — number of publications, international collaborations, citation indices. Less attention has been paid to the underlying ecosystem: the attitudes, access points, and educational pathways that determine whether scientific knowledge takes root in society.
Ruiz de la Quintina’s perspective is therefore timely. As Director of Research at UNIVALLE, he oversees not only grant management and researcher training, but also the broader mission of making science visible, accessible, and relevant to students and the public. The episode promises to address how academic institutions can move beyond the laboratory walls and into meaningful dialogue with the communities they serve.
The episode is framed within the paradigm of science culture construction — an approach that treats public engagement not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate, strategic component of institutional research policy. From this perspective, podcasts like Voices of Science are not merely outreach tools; they are infrastructure for a more equitable and participatory scientific ecosystem.
How to Tune In
The live broadcast will take place:
Date: Wednesday, 27 May
Time: 08:00 a.m. (GMT +8)
Platform: Facebook and YouTube – Univalle Online
For researchers, administrators, and science communicators alike, the conversation offers a rare look at how one Latin American university is building science culture from the inside out.