Periodic Reporting for period 1 - G9NIGHT (G9 GREEN NIGHT)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-05-01 al 2022-04-30
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 worldwide crisis, we were reluctant to organise mass events that had the potential to involve large crowds. However, we believed that the G9NIGHT NIGHT was an excellent opportunity to show the positive impact of scientific research on society. Despite most of the events adopting an online format, the implementation of our carefully designed contingency plan allowed us to still hold some in-situ.
Under the motto “Ambassadors for the Climate”, the consortium organised a Green Week from the 5th to the 12th of June, coinciding with World Environment Day (5th June) and World Ocean Day (8th June). The main objective of this pre-event was to show society the commitment of the member universities towards achieving a more sustainable economy, and how science and researchers are helping to create a more sustainable future. Thus, all proposed activities had planet Earth as major protagonist.
The main event represented an opportunity to encourage citizens to explore measure and experiment with the world around them. We are currently facing new challenges to involve the public in decision-making regarding social issues. In this sense, science education is essential to create a responsible citizenship, as it promotes critical thinking, creativity and innovation and citizens play a major role in addressing the challenges to a sustainable future. The project initiatives was organised around the motto: GREEN NIGHT NINE. Also, events were celebrated across Spain with a common aim: to bring researchers closer to the general public and increase awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizens´ daily life, and encouraging young people to embark on research careers.
The main aim of G9NIGHT was to promote public awareness and understanding of research in science and technology. In order to achieve this, we will encourage researchers to share their work with the public at large, especially those who have benefited from EU support. A critical framework will be established as a forum for discussion with experts from partner’s institutions, about solutions that are being proposed in relation to specific problems of general interest. We do hope to demystify and humanise research, reveal what researchers do, and stimulate young people to embark on research careers.
Under the motto “Ambassadors for the Climate”, the consortium organised a Green Week from the 5th to the 12th of June, coinciding with World Environment Day (5th June) and World Ocean Day (8th June). The main objective of this pre-event was to show society the commitment of the member universities towards achieving a more sustainable economy, and how science and researchers are helping to create a more sustainable future. Thus, all proposed activities had planet Earth as major protagonist.
The main event represented an opportunity to encourage citizens to explore measure and experiment with the world around them. We are currently facing new challenges to involve the public in decision-making regarding social issues. In this sense, science education is essential to create a responsible citizenship, as it promotes critical thinking, creativity and innovation and citizens play a major role in addressing the challenges to a sustainable future. The project initiatives was organised around the motto: GREEN NIGHT NINE. Also, events were celebrated across Spain with a common aim: to bring researchers closer to the general public and increase awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizens´ daily life, and encouraging young people to embark on research careers.
The main aim of G9NIGHT was to promote public awareness and understanding of research in science and technology. In order to achieve this, we will encourage researchers to share their work with the public at large, especially those who have benefited from EU support. A critical framework will be established as a forum for discussion with experts from partner’s institutions, about solutions that are being proposed in relation to specific problems of general interest. We do hope to demystify and humanise research, reveal what researchers do, and stimulate young people to embark on research careers.
Most of the activities offered over the course of the G9NIGHT project returned to their original face-to-face format, with very few of them remaining in online format. In total, 491 activities were organised among all beneficiaries. All the scientific fair stands were onsite for the University of Oviedo, whereas around 62% of the talks given in schools were online (the remainder being onsite). While the University of Cantabria had a more mixed program (38,29% online – 61,71% onsite); the University of Castile-La Mancha held almost all their activities onsite, with just one online activity for schools. The University of Extremadura had a heavily onsite programme, with only 12% of activities being online. Likewise, the Universities of the Balearic Islands and Zaragoza had an almost 100% face-to-face programme, with just one activity broadcasted thought IB3 TV (a publicly funded Balearic television channel) for the former and only one activity (aimed at schools) that was completely online, plus a few that were both online and onsite, for the latter. The Public University of Navarre was the only one to hold 100% of their activities onsite. The University of the Basque Country had almost an equal amount of online and onsite activities on their programme (47% online – 53% onsite).
Regarding, the topics implemented: Informal talks and workshops addressed to educational centres gathered large numbers of attendees and were spread across different locations within each region and involved large numbers of researchers. The topics covered by these activities included many different disciplines, including natural, social and formal sciences. It is important to highlight that all the activities related somehow to the COVID-19 pandemic got great attention among all publics and all venues.
Regarding, the topics implemented: Informal talks and workshops addressed to educational centres gathered large numbers of attendees and were spread across different locations within each region and involved large numbers of researchers. The topics covered by these activities included many different disciplines, including natural, social and formal sciences. It is important to highlight that all the activities related somehow to the COVID-19 pandemic got great attention among all publics and all venues.
The scientific and technological development has a great influence in how our societies make progress, together with other social factors such as politics or economics. However, in recent years a lack of interest in research careers related with science and technology has been reported in several countries around the world, including Spain. The reasons behind this are still not fully elucidated, but current findings point out to a lack of understanding between the scientific and the non-scientific communities.
With a selection of communication and dissemination activities that have already proven successful in attracting the right audience, we estimate that almost 2,587,110 persons were informed via dissemination. The post-evaluation from our previous NIGHT gives us a solid evidence that the overall number of attendees was 24,402 with a hybrid event (online and onsite), so it has increased the audience size.
With a selection of communication and dissemination activities that have already proven successful in attracting the right audience, we estimate that almost 2,587,110 persons were informed via dissemination. The post-evaluation from our previous NIGHT gives us a solid evidence that the overall number of attendees was 24,402 with a hybrid event (online and onsite), so it has increased the audience size.