Project description
Bringing science to the people of Galicia
Is trust in science and research growing during the pandemic? How has COVID-19 impacted the social perception of science and science communication? The findings of a public opinion survey in Spain in April 2020 show that citizens value healthcare workers more than other scientists. But studies also show a drop in the number of young people embarking on science and technology careers. The EU-funded G-NIGHT project will organise a European Researchers' Night, aiming to show the public the reality of research and science. It will bring together the three Galician universities, several research institutions as well as museums and citizens, combining online and onsite activities in the seven main cities of Galicia.
Objective
The emergence of the new coronavirus has meant a turning point, a radical change in many facets of our life and of course in the social perception of science and science communication too.
During the crisis and for the first time in our era, a very large part of society really needed to rely and understand how science works and its outcomes, and they had to fight to find reliable and accurate sources of scientific information. The deafening noise of the first weeks was a sign that maybe scientist and their institutions have to communicate and listen better and that a closer relationship between science and society is still needed.
In Spain, a survey carried out in April 2020 showed that healthcare professionals were the group that citizens rated most highly followed by scientists.
In previous studies, such as Social Perception of Science 2018, it was already clear that the professions most highly valued by citizens were, in this order, doctors, scientists and teachers, over engineers, entrepreneurs, judges and journalists.
Even so, a recent study certifies a 30% drop since 2000 in the number of enrolments in scientific and technical careers. It points out different causes for this drop and the main one seems to be the perception that it is not worth making the effort due to the imbalances in the job market.
So, in this context, G-Night seeks to bring its research institutions to the whole population, to continue working and caring for a relationship that is strengthened every day. And for the first time, the main Galician centres and universities aim to do it together, reflecting the collaborative nature of science and knowledge generation. The Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit of UVIGO leads a project to bring together the 3 Galician universities, several research centres, museums, libraries and other science organizations and associations with the public to show the reality of research and science in different areas of knowledge
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
36310 Vigo Pontevedra
Spain