activating and enhancing interest in scientific culture for different target groups: the experience...

Activating and enhancing interest in scientific culture for different target

groups: the experience of Researchers’ Night in Tuscany

Katherine IsaacsUniversity of Pisa

SCIENCE OUTREACH Italy ChinaSNS, Pisa, 4 November 2015

Outline1. Introduction2. Outreach in general3. Special contexts, special experiences4. Tools and results5. Concluding remarks


1. Introduction

- Outreach: a necessary dimension of universities’ central mission: «Elaboration and transfer of knowledge», in the broadest sense- Outreach: scientific, educational- Two sides of the same coin...


2. Outreach in general........is taken to mean extending the action of the University to the surrounding ‘human’ area, meaning usually schools, associations, mature citizens, interested professionals, enterprise.Often run by a specific sector/officeMay includes ‘extension courses’ and dissemination events, seen as a public service


Research outreach: illustrating research projects and results in such a way as to be understandable/understood and appreciated by persons not directly involved in the project, and who are normally understood not to be part of the academic/research community. promoting research (usually ‘hard sciences’ among upper school students


3. Special contexts, special experiences


A special context and a ‘success story’25 September 2015

Researchers’ Night; the last Friday in September each year; a European eventFourth year in Tuscany; supported by the Tuscany region, coordinated by the University of PisaMain Partners: Superior Normal School, St. Anna Superiore School, National Research Council, Universities of Florence, Siena, and Siena for Foreigners....INFN, INGV, egoVirgoIMT Lucca


Several hundred activities in:

Pisa, Lucca, Cascina; Florence, Prato; Siena, Arezzoto celebrate RESEARCHERSwhat they do, and what it means for all of us

a ‘Bright’ night, for ‘Bright’ people, making a Brighter world....


Pisa: a special contextA city of students, teachers and researchers, a research vocation:

89.000 inhabitants55.000 university students15.000 upper school students5000 full-time researchers/univ professorsplus technical and administrative support personnel


Pisa: city of researchersbut:Highly ‘pillarized’ with regard to disciplinary area, institute, location in the city

Limited contact between institutions, departments centres


Florence: a larger city, a smaller university… a different context .

Here too an important ‘reaching out’ between institutions and disciplines: a ‘walk’ that included the Botanical Gardens, the Conservatory – with a concert – the Academy of Fine Arts – and finally the University.


Siena, the city of the Palio

A multitude of activities in the piazzas, in the streets of the medieval city, ending up with a grand finale in Piazza del Campo


4. Tools and Results: Tools

Press conferences (regional, local)Facebook; TwitterWebsite: video promoPosters; leaflets; postcardsStand; Science cafès; BookshopsCinema (cycle of films on researchers)Open laboratories«Spaghettata»TheatreRadio ‘talk show’


Support of the Municipality of Pisa

Council member responsible for Culture and Schools (also professor of Physics at UNIPI), sends invitation to all school directors, teachers, explaining the importance of the opportunity in informing and orienting their students and pupils.


Results- remarkable participation of the public, including many young people.- enthusiasm of the public and the researchers- pressing requests from the participants to hold such events ‘more often’

SCIENCE OUTREACHSNS, Pisa, 4 November 2015

A kind of epiphanyThe city shows its true coloursResearchers recognise and interact with each otherFriendly rivalry and collaboration as they take their reponsibility of explaining to the public, including their colleagues, why their research is essential, useful, fascinating….


A question:why is the sky darkat night?

Another question:why was BRIGHT such a bright night?


Can we preserve and enhance the ‘spirit’ of BRIGHT during the rest of the year?Or at least remind ourselves of it from time to time?


ConclusionOutreach is not just an activity, and certainly it is not a second-class activityIt is an attitude…of responsibility and respect-special events, such as BRIGHT can foster respect and stimulate the ability to communicate research responsibly


Clearly research outreach must be structural, part of the insitutional strategy, practiced and understood all year.

BRIGHT has shown us its potential and, perhaps, its goals.



Website: www.bright2015.org

http://www.bright2015.org/

Video ‘Promo’

• SCIENCE OUTREACH Italy China• SNS, Pisa, 4 November 2015

Thank [email protected]


activating and enhancing interest in scientific culture for different target groups: the experience...

Documents

research outreach

introduction outreach

broadest sense outreach

special contexts

special experiences4

university students15

smaller university

research vocation