SCIENCE MEETS CITY: SCIENCE HOTEL and SCIENCE OPEN

Project Information

SCIENCECITY

Grant agreement ID: 819171

DOI

10.3030/819171

Project closed

EC signature date 10 July 2018

Start date 1 May 2018

End date 30 November 2018

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 112 700,00

EU contribution

€ 40 000,00

Coordinated by

ERASMUS UNIVERSITEIT ROTTERDAM
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SCIENCECITY (SCIENCE MEETS CITY: SCIENCE HOTEL and SCIENCE OPEN)

Reporting period: 2018-05-01 to 2018-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Science Hotel | Science Open

Objectives

o To facilitate personal encounters between the audience and researchers within an highly interactive environment;
o To invite the audience to step in the daily life of researchers and discuss research and its perception by societal stakeholders;
o To stimulate and enrich the dialogue between researchers and public through interventions by artists;

On Friday 28 and Saturday 29 September 2019 Science Hotel | Science Open took place in nhow Hotel Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam. 1.400 people partipated in the events and another 600 in pre-events and school lectures. 69 researchers, among whom 17 MSCA fellows, presented their research in highly interactive presentations, which were directed to creating a dialogue in which visitors are learning from researchers about their topics, just as much as researchers are learning from the visitors about how their topics are perceived by the general public and specific stakeholder groups. Apart from presentations by researchers, artists presented their work.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Work package 1 Awareness campaign

Tasks undertaken

Main targets of the awareness campaign
o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Researchers;
o Artists;
o A curious and adventurous festival public;
o Representatives of civil society organizations;
o School pupils in primary school;
o School pupils in secondary school;
o Teachers of primary and secondary school;
o Students;
o Parents;

Communication tools

Offline

o Conception, production and display of Rotterdam Festival agenda, flyers in cafés, restaurants, hotels, supermarket and cultural organizations in cafés, restaurants, hotels and cultural organizations and distribution of programme app for participants before the event and on site;
o Public advertising: posters on bill boards and video screens in the city centre;
o Publication of printed magazine for employees of Erasmus MC, for alumni of Erasmus University Rotterdam;
o Airing of mini-campaigns consisting of promotional spots, announcements, interviews through regional RTV: Rotterdam OPEN;
o Publication of press releases to local, national and international media;
o Invitation through network of ‘Wetenschapsknooppunt’ dedicated to introduction of the university to primary schools;
o Advertisements in local newspapers: Havenloods and Metro
o Pre-events:
o Pre-event in Arminius debate centre on Thursday 27 September
o Flyers on local festivals, such as Open Air Cinema (August/September);

On line

o Setting up and constant updating of the project website;
o Links with institutional and popular websites, joint European website of European Researchers’ Night initiatives, and partners: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus MC, Centre for the Arts, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam Partners, Rotterdam Festivals;
o Posting of online agenda of Rotterdam Festivals;
o E mailing to researchers, artists, civil society organisations;
o Setting up and constant updating of social media of organisational stakeholders (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), including Facebook pages of former local science outreach events;
o Conception and production of a trailer movie on YouTube;
o Airing of items on Rotterdam OPEN digital television;

Messages to be conveyed
o Meet researchers personally during Science Meets City;
o Be inspired by their work and their passion for their work;
o Discover that research is relevant to society;
o Research offers exciting career opportunities for young people;
o Research is closer than you may think;
o Researchers are part of the culture and economy of Rotterdam and its region;

Results achieved

The awareness campaign has been intensive and successful making Science Hotel | Science Open visible on many platforms for many audiences.

Work Package 2 Activities during the Night

Tasks undertaken

Locations
Rotterdam
Venues
o Nhow Hotel, Rotterdam Waterfront;
o Erasmus University Rotterdam, main campus;

Friday: Science Hotel
o Common theme to all venues: science meets city;
o Types of activities planned: hands-on experiments, demos, interactive presentations, interactive lectures, personal chats, discussion, science brokerage event, guided tours, puzzles, crime scene investigation, contest, lab visits, artist interventions.

Saturday: Science Open
o Interactive presentations at Erasmus University Rotterdam:
o Larger groups of audiences in lecture halls;
o Customised lectures for different age groups (primary school pupils, secondary school pupils, students and adults);
o Guided tours to labs and research facilities, lectures highly interactive and have benefited from the co-creation with stakeholders during Science Hotel;
o Demos and hands on demonstrations;
o Artists interventions

Results achieved
More than 50 unique presentations of research and art:
Debates, interactive presentations, quizes, health check point, workshops, role play, demonstrations, seminar, interventions, discussion, speeddating session, EU corners, poster presentations, CSI game, circus performances. lectures, lab, selfie wall, magazine presentation, conversations art and science, gamified survey, guided tour, work out exercise.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Overview of the results

2.000 people visited the events: 1.400 visited Science Hotel | Science Open; 300 visited the pre-event on Thursday September 28; 300 school pupils in primary schools participated in the lectures folowing up on the events.

Collected data of 80 visitors. There was no bias in gender: roughly equal amounts of male and female visitors. Majority of the visitors were between 20-30 years old. Only 5% of the visitors were younger than 20 years old. 80% of the visitors had at the least a HBO or bachelor degree. Roughly 50% agree that science and technology changes our lives too quickly. 50% disagreed with the statement that only science can reveal to us the truth about mankind and his place in nature. Over 60% agreed that scientists do not contribute enough to inform the public about their work. Over 50% of the visitors agreed that the benefits of science outweigh the disadvantages.
Over 50% of the visitors indicated to be highly interested in scientific research (before coming to the event). In the last year, over 80% of the visitors had not partaken in protest demonstrations on scientific or technological subjects. Over 50% of the visitors had not visited a science festival. 35% of the visitors had visited a science festival once in the last year. Over 60% of the visitors had visited a science museum, scientific exhibition, public gathering or debate about research and technology in the last year. Over 70% had not heard of European Researchers’ Night before. Almost 60% of the visitors agreed that the most important goal of Science Hotel was to stimulate dialogue between scientists and the public. Over 70% think scientists are not involved enough with communicating to the public. 60% of the visitors who do think that scientists are sufficiently involved believe that scientists engage to advocate their work. 30% of them believe it’s to receive more funding and roughly 10% believes it is to explain complex knowledge. Of the visitors who believe scientists do not engage sufficiently 42% think it’s because scientists do not want to waste their time. About 30% believe it’s because scientists do not have the communicative skills. Another 30% thinks it’s because there is no benefit for scientists to communicate with the public.

Food lab during Science Hotel

EU corner during Science Hotel

MSCA fellow pitch during Science Hotel 1

Sikkel cel simulation during Science Hotel

Sustainability lab during Science Hotel

Cultural heritage Meet and greet with Erasmus during Science Hotel

Interactive survey during Science Hotel

Art work made during Science Hotel

Co-creating knowledge during Science Hotel

MSCA fellow pitch during Science Hotel 2

Debate during Science Hotel

Participation in dating research during Science Hotel

Political debate during Science Hotel