Science Park

I am concerned about the situation and the future of the Science Park. This center of scientific publishing, the pride of our city and of Andalusia, an essential piece of Granada knowledge, and one of the most visited museums in Andalusia, is beginning to show the consequences of the bad decision made by the government of Andalusia, namely the transfer of its economic administration to Seville. Not to mention the cuts he is experiencing. My elders said that what is far from the eye is far from the heart. And some of that happens in our garden.

I visited it two weeks ago, and although it was a joy to enjoy that space again, I was overcome with a feeling of sadness at the deterioration that had begun to appear. There are non-functional units in some wings, abandoned or missing lots, and gardens in disrepair. We have already said that this could happen. A center like the Science Park needs to intervene quickly when a module starts to fail, or replace parts when they deteriorate. This is not possible without close and agile management that takes care of small problems before they become big and difficult to solve. It is also not possible without sufficient budget not only for its maintenance, but for new programs, activities and exhibits that maintain the pulse and life that has characterized our park until now. How long will there be no great exhibition of yours, and in science, as in life, if you stop you will fall behind.

Instead of promoting the park and taking advantage of the enormous potential it possesses, the Andalusian government is now preparing to establish an Andalusian Institute for the Educational Publishing of Sciences, albeit in Malaga. Among its goals, according to the draft decree, are to promote the dissemination of science among students, enhance scientific and environmental culture, or develop initiatives that bring knowledge closer to scientific and technological foundations. That is, the experience the park relied on. How many thousands of students participated in its activities! How many teachers participated in it! How many scientific experiments, lectures and educational materials! But the Andalusian Institute for the Publishing of Educational Sciences will not be in Granada.

I have had the honor of being President of the Science Park for eight years as Minister of Education and Science of the Government of Andalusia. In those years, its major expansion took place, the so-called fourth phase, and the contents of many of its pavilions and other exhibitions were designed and produced. I know very well how it works and, above all, the ability to work, the initiative, the rigor and the care that its director at the time, Ernesto Paramo, his team and all the employees took to make it possible. But there was also an institutional and economic commitment on the part of the Andalusian government of the time, ruled by the Socialist Party, to make the Science Park the great reference for Andalusia and southern Europe. I have no doubt that the current team and all the employees who work there have the same dedication and sincerity. My complaint is directed against the main person in charge of the Park Union, since it is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the Andalusian Junta.

Someone would probably tell me that the park is full of people and that it continues to delight those who visit. This is true and it fills me with happiness. But there are clear warning signs, and it is best to treat this before complaining after a few years. Granada cannot aspire to be a cultural capital if it does not have the audacity and courage to stand up for what we have and envision its future based on it.

I don't know what the mayor, the president of the regional council or the district delegates will think, but I want to add my voice to the voice of other people from Granada who condemn the situation that Granada is suffering from. I hope they also do it just out of responsibility, although those who now occupy the San Telmo building in Seville may be upset.