The main way in which SCI-TREK reached to help reduce stereotypes bout researchers and their profession is by ensuring that at least 90% of all activities enabled participants to meet and interact directly with researchers, and by encouraging those researchers to use their own experiences as frame for the knowledge to be shared with the audience. In this interactive process, researchers had been encouraged to share personal stories related their work (whether these are successes, failures or other types of challenges), as a way to create a connection with the public at an emotional level too.
The SCI-TREK project aimed to raise awareness about research & innovation that have the potential to shape tomorrow’s societies & impact the citizens’ lives in the context of ongoing global societal, environmental and technological transitions. Together with the public, the project explored topics such as: the necessary societal transition for adaptation to climate change, protecting & restoring biodiversity, transition towards sustainable cities and communities, responsible/ sustainable consumption, promoting good health and healthy nutrition, transition towards clean energy, artificial Intelligence and its role in society etc.
In order to bring researchers closer to the general public, all activities had been geared towards establishing a clear link between the research being promoted and the benefits it brings to society in this regard. As the acronym inspired by popular culture implies, the project did this by making scientific knowledge accessible, engaging and fun, placing participants at the heart of scientific journeys that might ultimately affect the way they think and live. SCI-TREK also aimed to break stereotypes about researchers themselves and establish a genuine connection between them and their audience.
In order to achieve this, proposed actions targeted a broad range of stakeholder groups: children, teenagers, students, adults.
Activities have been designed to cater to all these target groups & corresponding needs in a differentiated manner with these goals:
• Raise awareness about present and future societal, environmental and technological transitions, providing participants with evidence-based keys to understanding them;
• Stimulate curiosity towards scientific subjects and generate interest in research careers among the young people;
• Promote the scientific method to understanding and solving complex issues, in a context of mass information and weakening of expert opinion;
• Foster direct dialog between researchers and citizens and reduce the stereotypes about researchers and their profession;
• Promote European research and innovation policies and their impact on citizen's daily life, including the benefits of collaboration and mobility between EU member states.
To achieve these objectives, the proposal relied on 3 main pillars:
1. Focus on societal and environmental challenges impacted by science and innovation (framed in the context of ongoing global societal, environmental and technological transitions)
2. Collaboration between universities and civil society
3. A programme for all, (almost) everywhere
