Project description
European researchers against fake news in Slovenia
The efforts of Horizon Europe and Open Science to address challenges are often undermined by fake news. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the oooZnanost project is a European Researchers’ Night (ERN) project aiming to respond with the theme ‘Fake news and conspiracy theories? Let’s empower ourselves for Science!’ The University of Maribor coordinates researchers’ activities at schools to engage with national and local media, as well as primary and secondary schools, raising awareness of the researchers’ profession and reinforcing its positive image. This includes highlighting the benefits that scientists create for society, stimulating curiosity, and fostering skills to detect fake news.
Objective
Our society faces increasing challenges, which the scientific community addresses by participating and contributing to various EU measures, like Horizon Europe and its missions, Open Science and many more. But their efforts are often undermined by fake news circulating and growing in social bubbles and echo chambers. ‘Fake news and conspiracy theories? Let's empower (ourselves for) Science!’ (Slovene Acronym: oooZnanost!, English Acronym: oooScience!) is the red line of the 11th edition of the European Researchers’ Night’s Night (ERN) project, which now includes Researchers at School activities under the coordination of the University of Maribor, which continues to engage the scientific community with various national and local media and primary and secondary schools. The project's main objective continues to raise awareness of the researchers' profession and reinforce their positive image, the benefits that scientists create for society, to stimulate curiosity and skills to detect fake news, misrepresentation and fabrication of scientific results/facts, and find reliable information through Open Science, and last but not least to inspire the young to embark the research profession. Those, as mentioned earlier, will be pursued by the researchers’ involvement in the Intensive Awareness campaign, numerous edutainment activities in festive spirit during the European Researches Nights 2024 and 2025 (Maribor, Koper, Izola), active involvement of our Researchers in Schools in many Slovenian cities and strengthening researchers' competencies and communication skills to interact with the non-research audience effectively, and followed by improved in-depth Impact Assessment studies.
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support ActionsCoordinator
2000 Maribor
Slovenia