Scientific computing challenges in Argentina

Research groups often delegate the scientific programming to PhD students. In most cases, these students do not have formal training in software development theory and tools. This situation induces poor software quality, less efficient use of computing resources, and a lot of time waste in programming. How can we address these issues and make scientific programming more efficient?

We offered an annual advanced workshop on scientific programming techniques to young scientists in Argentina. We expanded its scope to discuss important problems in the country, inclusing under-representation of female scientists, the socio-economic situation of the students, the federal representation, and the quality of the training. The success of this workshop revealed the high demand for similar courses within the universities and research institutions, and exposed the key role of scientific programming in carrying out the daily multidisciplinary scientific work.