Rosalia Vargas is the president of Ciência Viva, the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture in Portugal, a role she has held since 1996. She has also served as the director of Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Pavilion of Knowledge), the Lisbon Science Centre, since 1999. A former Ecsite president, she was also previously elected City Councilor for Education, Youth and Culture at Lisbon City Hall (2007 – 2009), and is a board member of ASTC – Association of Science Technology Centers.
Ciência Viva’s mission is to promote scientific culture in Portuguese society for all audiences, with a particular focus on younger audiences and school pupils. It promotes experimental science teaching in primary and secondary education, organises scientific dissemination campaigns aimed at the general public and is working to create a National Network of Ciência Viva Centres – interactive spaces for scientific dissemination. It currently has 21 member institutions.
Vargas is a member of the National Council of Education, the Open University Advisory Board, the International Committee of Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, the Steering Committee of EMME – Euro-Mediterranean and Middle East science education project and the discussion group of the “Museums in the Future” project, created by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture.
One nominator said: “She is an inspiration both in hard work and vision for our national network. She has a strong sense of the future and builds the network of science education and dissemination, based on scientific knowledge and humanism.
“She portrays the strength of an entire network and we can always count on her to be a leader, a teacher and a friend. She is strong-minded and a great negotiator who always puts the interests of the science centre field first. Also, she promotes equality and supports women in becoming leaders in our own institutions. She represents progress and future, with a solid background.”