Students take part in a discussion on gender and science

Invited by Coluni-UFF, IMPA Tech students took part on Wednesday (5) in the 1st Gender and Science Day in Basic Education, in Niterói (RJ). Organized by the Girls and Women in Science project, the event brought together thematic workshops and collaborative actions aimed at disseminating science and reflecting on the relationship between science, gender and education. The program was mainly aimed at the university college’s primary school students.

In the round table discussion “Is this place for you?”, undergraduates Adriana Kaminsky, Bianca Moreno, Micaele Magalhães and Tainá Queiroz talked about their personal challenges and achievements as girls in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.

The chat was a moment of listening and mutual motivation, showing how science can open doors. “It was a very good exchange. We talked about our academic and personal careers and the difficulties of being a girl at school. We talked about what we each wanted to do in the future, even though not all of the students wanted to go into the exact sciences. It was an important conversation to encourage them to follow what they want to do,” said Bianca.

The young women also asked questions about the Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics for Technology and Innovation, IMPA’s first higher education course. The degree program reserves a number of places for candidates from different quota groups, such as affirmative and female.

Born in Fortaleza (CE), Bianca said that at the age of 19 she left her family behind to study in Rio de Janeiro. She entered the undergraduate program through the Enem (National High School Exam), for the places allocated to girls. “Even though girls and boys are equally qualified to enter a mathematics faculty, many of them are discouraged from doing so. Having a space reserved for us gives us the feeling that this place belongs to us too. Women’s quotas are fundamental in mathematics courses and this is a very important initiative by IMPA Tech,” she said.

Selection process 2026

Applications for the 2026 class of the bachelor’s degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation are open until 12 noon on December 23. Up to 100 places will be offered to young people from all over Brazil who have already finished high school. The selection process is based on scientific olympiads or the Enem math grade. The second phase involves individual online interviews. Check out the announcement.

Read more: IMPA Tech opens registration for 2026 graduation class
See also: Federal Government announces creation of IMPA Tech Nordeste