The eight edition of Researchers' night project in Serbia was organized on 29th September 2017 and covered Province of Vojvodina, a multi-ethnic and multicultural area with approximately 30% of the total population of Serbia (2.2 out of 7.5 mil people)
Theme: high temperature science, with a special emphasis on educating and raising awareness about the interesting cutting-edge research and theories focused on innovations about the hottest issues in science, fun experiments about high temperatures and high energy processes (heat engines, energy production in stars, arc welding, body fever, hypothermia…) which fits perfectly within the “cool & hot” themed Researchers Night 2016/17
Main focus was on the hot topics in science existing in 2017
Objectives:
o Break and demystify the persistent and repeated stereotypes about researchers;
o Bring out the actual Serbian researchers, engage them publicly and increase their recognition in Serbian society, both locally and globally;
o Promote research carried out in Serbia and researchers as role models;
o Unveil the motivation for becoming a researcher;
o Entice the young people to embark on scientific careers;
o Raise public awareness about the researchers' contribution to progress and development;
o Raise public awareness about climate change and global warming;
o Highlight the importance of the EU's manifold support to researchers and scientific research work in Serbia;
o Improve networking with other national and international projects related to science popularisation, through mutual support of events and exchange of ideas, experiences and people.
Keywords:
o hot, attractive, futuristic, understanding, connecting, helping. At the same time these keywords perfectly describe the researchers and science.
Offer of eight Researchers Night in Serbia was balanced combination of science-linked activities (demonstrations, simulations, hands-on experiments) and festive ones (games, sport, quizzes, competitions and music), including scientific demonstrations by researchers, hands-on experiments, workshops for children, competitive, sport and music activities, as well as informal discourse on topical issues accompanied by a variety of cultural expressions.
Main idea of the event was to promote science mixed with arts, theatre, sports, and local businesses, but framed around the specific scientific topics, implying a change in the presentation concept, from many small and unconnected stands to just a few sectors, while also enabling researchers from different fields and institutions to mingle and unite as well as visitors to have more holistic understanding of specific scientific phenomena.
According to the collected data and statistical results, the project objectives were without a doubt successfully achieved. The events organised through the Researchers’ Night 2016-2017 in Novi Sad, Subotica, Sabac, Pancevo, Kikinda and Zrenjanin fulfilled their ambition and proved to be successful.
