European Researchers’ Night in Sweden, ForskarFredag (Researchers’ Friday), is Sweden’s most widely dispersed science festival. ForskarFredag is arranged in 26 cities and towns across Sweden, alongside an online programme of activities. The non-profit association VA (Public & Science) has coordinated FF annually since 2006, and FF2022_23 has built on the success of previous years, drawing on experience, contacts and the ever-increasing national profile.
Activities are organised by 11 Partners (organisations benefiting directly from the Grant) and 35 External Partners (organisations gaining indirectly from the Grant through the national coordination, website, shared awareness campaign) together with dozens of other local collaborating organisations. Local organisers of FF activities include universities, science centres, municipalities, museums and research centres.
The local organisers share experiences and learnings in a national contact network. VA is responsible for the framework, national identity and national awareness campaign.
ForskarFredag increases public awareness of research conducted at universities, research centres, institutes and companies all over Sweden. It showcases how research affects our society today and inspires people to imagine what impact research and innovation could have in the future. Meetings with researchers generate dialogue, which create a better understanding of how researchers work, as well as better understanding of research methods, challenging common misconceptions about research and stereotypes about researchers. European Researchers’ Night provides a high-profile vehicle for increasing the public’s awareness and understanding of research.
Young people aged 12–19 are a key target audience for ForkarFredag, with a special emphasis on teenagers about to make a study choice. In the evaluation of FF2022, 71% of the teachers stated that the class had neither visited nor been visited by a researcher in any other context than ForskarFredag and in the evaluaton of FF2023, this figure was 72%. Thus European Researchers’ Night plays a crucial role in introducing young people in Sweden to higher education and to research as a career opportunity.
ForskarFredag's motto is: "Researchers are ordinary people with extraordinary jobs!"
The main objectives of ForskarFredag in Sweden are:
1. To create meetings between researchers and the general public across the whole country. The activities will generate direct exchange and dialogue through interactive and entertaining activities.
2. To offer something for everyone, regardless of age, education level or scientific background, with a special focus on children and young people.
3. To showcase a wide range of research in different fields: from STEM to social sciences, arts and the humanities, and demonstrate the impact of research and innovations on society and on attendees’ daily lives.
4. To increase awareness of the international aspects of research and of the European Union as a prominent research enabler, as well as showcase local research and innovation activities.
5. To create an understanding of researchers’ daily work and scientific methods.
6. To tackle existing stereotypical images of researchers by engaging researchers with a diversity of age, gender, ethnicity, working environments, disciplines etc.
7. To provide researchers with opportunities to engage with non-research audiences about their research area, and develop their science communication skills.
