Project description
Learning by researching together solutions for our future
Today scientific research delves into a wide range of crucial problems concerning our future such as climate change, pollution levels, diseases and other issues that need urgent solutions. Yet, we lack active involvement in support of scientific undertakings from the general public due to commonly passive and tedious education. The EU-funded ReCoNnect 2 project will develop a continuous and active learning approach with the involvement of scientists, communicators and the general public. The aim is to learn through interaction while doing research together. In support of the endeavour, the project will use the expertise of a consortium of prestigious universities, institutes and STEM educational networks to organise 20 European Researchers’ Night events each of the two years the programme will be running, with a specific focus on rural areas and schools.
Objective
Researchers worldwide are struggling nowadays to solve some of the critical issues which pose a threat to our future life on Earth. While everyone heard about the climate change, smart cities, freshwater and ocean pollution, soil degradation which conduct to poor quality of food, or cancer, but most of the time only with respect to disasters or an uncertain future, the researchers are actively involved into identifying practical solutions for all these threats, developing devices and systems to monitor, control and diminish their effect, and to cure people and Earth. These missions will have the chance of becoming effective only by ReCoNnect-ing the researchers to the society, by developing a mutual respect and understanding one needs a will to listen, to be open to the new and to explore. As such, we propose the adoption of a special life strategy, that of continuous and active learning, in which all those involved, scientists, communicators or the general public, are active learners interacting with each other.
The consortium is made up from 5 research institutes, the largest and most prestigious in the country, 4 universities, with high scientific expertise but also including journalism faculties and one public scientific body, that have been participating in previous research outreach events and coordinate some of the largest STEM educational networks (teachers and pupils) derived from the European programmes. By organization of 20 NIGHT events yearly, also in rural areas, and a strong involvement of researchers at school along the 2 years project implementation, we are confident in the strengthening of the science communication and educational programs already developed, increasing, meanwhile, the number of researchers involved in outreach activities. These allow us to look to the future with new hopes of an active and cultured society towards solving the humanity issues through science and awareness.
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
077125 Magurele
Romania