Expo 2000: humankind, environment and technology
1 June 2000 - 1 June 2000
This year's world fair in Hanover, Germany, promises to be strong on science with exhibitions and events framed by the themes of 'humankind, environment, and technology'. With this in mind, the European Union is constructing a specially designed pavilion, aimed at celebrating some of its greatest achievements in these areas.
The EU's contribution to Expo 2000 will revolve around the concept of sustainability and subsidiarity, highlighting initiatives in the field of education, culture, research, environment, and health and consumer policy. 'It's aimed to give visitors an impression more than a knowledge of what the EU is doing,' explained a Commission official. 'The interactive design will give visitors the opportunity to discover for themselves,' said another. 'While celebrating the benefits of the information age it will also attempt to explain the pitfalls as well.'
Architects Lippsmeier and partners have based their design for the EU pavilion on the concept of 'The European Journey: into the new millennium'. There are plans to take visitors on a trip through a 'Three-dimensional time shuttle' from the 1950s to 'futuristic thinking in research and technological progress'. Their journey will be speeded by a massive rotating replica of a Euro, which doubles as an elevator, Commission officials have hinted. A 'European sound atlas' and 'cyber islands on EU policies' are also planned.
Throughout the exhibition will be conferences, workshops and cultural events including 'kid-days', 'Netdays' and 'science and 'environment days'.
While a complete agenda of Commission activities during EXPO 2000 is yet to be formalised, a number of events have been confirmed. These include the European energy week organised by the Directorate-General for Transport and Energy and a number of large-scale events organised by the Environment Directorate-General, including celebrations of 'World environment day' (5 June) and a 'European environmental week' (24 to 30 June). There will also be a number of European environment days (28 July, 4 August, 23 September, and 28 October 2000). These events will be open to the public, who will be invited to ask questions and put suggestions forward to scientists, environmentalists and policy makers.
The European Commission also plans to hold conferences on energy in the cities of the 21st century, European environmental business, mobility and communication.
Young researchers will receive particular encouragement to continue their careers in science and technology. There will be a meeting for young researchers sponsored by the European Commission's Marie Curie fellowship scheme, while budding environmentalists will be biting their nails waiting for the finals of the first world championship for young environmental researchers. Around 200 finalists under 21 years old will present their projects in October.
'It is the junior scientists of today who will solve the problems of tomorrow,' say the competition organisers, World-wide young researchers for the environment (WYRE).
Also, playing on a 'Europe meets Europe' theme and hoping to stimulate a human dimension, local school children will meet and guide visiting children around the EU exhibition.
Over one million people visited the EU pavilion at Expo '98, but this year the Europe Commission hopes to attract even more. 'EXPO 2000 is intended to be one of the largest world fairs ever,' say the event organisers.
The show begins on 1 June and runs until 30 October.
Further information about the EU's participation in EXPO 2000 is available from:
URL: http://europa.eu.int/expo2000(opens in new window)
or from the official world fair website at:
URL: http://www.expo2000.de(opens in new window)
for further information on events organised by the Environment DG, please contact:
European Commission
Environment Directorate-general
Information and Communication Unit
Mr Stergios Varvaroussis
rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Fax +32-2-2969560
E-mail: alexandra.de-poortere@ec.europa.eu
To contact World-wide young researchers for the environment, please write to:
WYRE
Brita Hemme
Fax +49-40-374709-79
E-mail: wyre@wyre.org
The EU's contribution to Expo 2000 will revolve around the concept of sustainability and subsidiarity, highlighting initiatives in the field of education, culture, research, environment, and health and consumer policy. 'It's aimed to give visitors an impression more than a knowledge of what the EU is doing,' explained a Commission official. 'The interactive design will give visitors the opportunity to discover for themselves,' said another. 'While celebrating the benefits of the information age it will also attempt to explain the pitfalls as well.'
Architects Lippsmeier and partners have based their design for the EU pavilion on the concept of 'The European Journey: into the new millennium'. There are plans to take visitors on a trip through a 'Three-dimensional time shuttle' from the 1950s to 'futuristic thinking in research and technological progress'. Their journey will be speeded by a massive rotating replica of a Euro, which doubles as an elevator, Commission officials have hinted. A 'European sound atlas' and 'cyber islands on EU policies' are also planned.
Throughout the exhibition will be conferences, workshops and cultural events including 'kid-days', 'Netdays' and 'science and 'environment days'.
While a complete agenda of Commission activities during EXPO 2000 is yet to be formalised, a number of events have been confirmed. These include the European energy week organised by the Directorate-General for Transport and Energy and a number of large-scale events organised by the Environment Directorate-General, including celebrations of 'World environment day' (5 June) and a 'European environmental week' (24 to 30 June). There will also be a number of European environment days (28 July, 4 August, 23 September, and 28 October 2000). These events will be open to the public, who will be invited to ask questions and put suggestions forward to scientists, environmentalists and policy makers.
The European Commission also plans to hold conferences on energy in the cities of the 21st century, European environmental business, mobility and communication.
Young researchers will receive particular encouragement to continue their careers in science and technology. There will be a meeting for young researchers sponsored by the European Commission's Marie Curie fellowship scheme, while budding environmentalists will be biting their nails waiting for the finals of the first world championship for young environmental researchers. Around 200 finalists under 21 years old will present their projects in October.
'It is the junior scientists of today who will solve the problems of tomorrow,' say the competition organisers, World-wide young researchers for the environment (WYRE).
Also, playing on a 'Europe meets Europe' theme and hoping to stimulate a human dimension, local school children will meet and guide visiting children around the EU exhibition.
Over one million people visited the EU pavilion at Expo '98, but this year the Europe Commission hopes to attract even more. 'EXPO 2000 is intended to be one of the largest world fairs ever,' say the event organisers.
The show begins on 1 June and runs until 30 October.
Further information about the EU's participation in EXPO 2000 is available from:
URL: http://europa.eu.int/expo2000(opens in new window)
or from the official world fair website at:
URL: http://www.expo2000.de(opens in new window)
for further information on events organised by the Environment DG, please contact:
European Commission
Environment Directorate-general
Information and Communication Unit
Mr Stergios Varvaroussis
rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Fax +32-2-2969560
E-mail: alexandra.de-poortere@ec.europa.eu
To contact World-wide young researchers for the environment, please write to:
WYRE
Brita Hemme
Fax +49-40-374709-79
E-mail: wyre@wyre.org