Auf Wiedersehen Munich, Hola Barcelona!
As ESOF2006 draws to a close in Munich, Germany, thoughts are already turning to Barcelona, Spain, which will host the next Euroscience Open Forum in July 2008. In total over 1,500 visitors from around 50 countries attended ESOF2006. Interest in the varied scientific programme of over 70 lectures, workshops and seminars was high, and the debates were lively. The 'Pretzel with the Prof' sessions in the Science Biergarten gave young scientists the opportunity to meet some of the plenary lecturers in an informal setting, while the Exhibition showcased some of the leading organisations promoting scientific research in Europe. Meanwhile preparations are already well underway for ESOF2008, which will be held in the Spanish city of Barcelona. At a press conference in Munich, it was announced that the Co-Chairs for ESOF2008 will be German biologist Ingrid Wuenning, of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and Spanish geophysicist Enric Banda of the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation. 'As co-chairs, we can ensure a balance between a strong participation of Spanish researchers, institutions and civil society with a rich diversity of European involvement,' said Banda. 'In this way, we will work for the continuous development of ESOF and the European Research Area.' The project team for ESOF2008 came to Munich to get input from visitors of what they want to see in Barcelona. One priority for them is to get the public more involved. 'We really feel that the public needs to be here, at the ESOF location,' Roberta Cross of the ESOF2008 team told CORDIS News. 'We're looking at ways to, without reducing the levels of science, make certain sessions more accessible to the public and available to them at a low cost.' The project team is also collaborating with a range of scientific, media and governmental partners to ensure the success of their outreach programme. With its excellent scientific infrastructure, Barcelona is the perfect city for hosting ESOF. 'Barcelona will feel ESOF and the international people we invite are going to see that we are a science city,' said Ms Cross. 'Our architecture is beautiful because of science; we drink good wine and eat good food because we do scientific research in food and drink. One of our Michelin starred chefs shuts his restaurant for four months every year to do research and development in his laboratory! So we're a city that understands that science makes our lives better.' Hosting ESOF will also be good for science in Spain. 'ESOF will help us profile Spanish science and Spanish researchers and help them connect more internationally,' explained Cross. 'I think it will really help us build a science culture in Spain, where people really understand what the relevance of science is for their lives.'
Countries
Germany, Spain