Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SCI-TREK (Science journey in a world in transition(s))
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-05-01 do 2021-04-30
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
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
COMMUNICATION IMPACTS
UCLouvain
University community (newsletter, virtual desk) total: 41 054
Schools & external associative or institutional partners: Newsletters total views (0, 1, 2, 3): 2640
General public: -Newsletters total views (0, 1, 2, 3): 2640 -Webpages views: 2628 -Social networks : Facebook reach: 145.969
UNamur
University community : internal channels views: 7700
Schools: Newsletters total views (1, 2) : 495
General public- Events priors to the NIGHT total: 631- Newsletters total : 380- Websites total pages views: 2828- Social medias (FB, Inst, Twit): 192 940
ULiège
General public : Website : Newsletters visitors number : 20359 - General valorisation:313 - Videos: 141 - Radio: 156 - European corner pages: 54 - Communication competition: 820 - Radio show: 30 - TOTAL: 1514 - Social networks: 40.466
Global Communication - Newsletters views:1497 - Website views: 2927 - Social networks: FB: 10197 - Total: 40.000
ACTIVITIES PARTCIPATION & SUCCESS RATE
UNamur: 3024
ULiège: 4954
UCLouvain: 8337
UCLouvain
University community (newsletter, virtual desk) total: 41 054
Schools & external associative or institutional partners: Newsletters total views (0, 1, 2, 3): 2640
General public: -Newsletters total views (0, 1, 2, 3): 2640 -Webpages views: 2628 -Social networks : Facebook reach: 145.969
UNamur
University community : internal channels views: 7700
Schools: Newsletters total views (1, 2) : 495
General public- Events priors to the NIGHT total: 631- Newsletters total : 380- Websites total pages views: 2828- Social medias (FB, Inst, Twit): 192 940
ULiège
General public : Website : Newsletters visitors number : 20359 - General valorisation:313 - Videos: 141 - Radio: 156 - European corner pages: 54 - Communication competition: 820 - Radio show: 30 - TOTAL: 1514 - Social networks: 40.466
Global Communication - Newsletters views:1497 - Website views: 2927 - Social networks: FB: 10197 - Total: 40.000
ACTIVITIES PARTCIPATION & SUCCESS RATE
UNamur: 3024
ULiège: 4954
UCLouvain: 8337
A better understanding of the key benefits that research brings to society
The main concept of the project being the discovery of research and researchers having an impact on today’s and tomorrow’s societal, technological and environmental challenges, all activities were aimed at establishing a clear link between the research being promoted and the benefits it brought to society. Through interactive online sciences talks or online experiments throught digital resources, researchers involved and activities systematically framed his subject in a broader societal context. Pre-events trainings provided to researchers particularly focused on helping researchers frame their research in a way that resonates for citizens.
Reduction of the stereotypes about researchers and their profession
The main way in which SCI-TREK reached to help reduce stereotypes about 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.
Increase, in the long term, of people taking up research careers
• By promoting the most exciting aspects of the researchers’ professional lives in online events.
• By putting forward actual professional experiences from researchers whenever it has been possible.
A better understanding of the European Union among the general public
Through the European corners done on each university's website and on www.Sciences.be SCI-TREK widely informed the participants about the role of the EU in the fields of research and innovation and its related policies. As described above, these spaces had been an opportunity to provide key facts and figures about the EU’s research programmes and how these contribute (both in absolute and relative terms) to address today’s and tomorrow’s societal , environmental and technological challenges having or soon to have a direct impact on the participants lives. In that sense, showing how the EU uses programmes such as Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, as well as structural funds to support the achievement of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals had been a key to explaining the link between public policy and tangible global challenges.
In addition, participating universities used the opportunity of the SCI-TREK NIGHT to promote some high impact EU research projects in which their researchers have been involved in, especially in the form of inserts included in the videos disseminated in various locations online. Finally, all the promotional and online communication materials bore the EU emblem and all participating researchers have been asked to mention any EU funding they may benefit from, or any positive impact EU researchers mobility and collaboration may have on their own research and career.
The main concept of the project being the discovery of research and researchers having an impact on today’s and tomorrow’s societal, technological and environmental challenges, all activities were aimed at establishing a clear link between the research being promoted and the benefits it brought to society. Through interactive online sciences talks or online experiments throught digital resources, researchers involved and activities systematically framed his subject in a broader societal context. Pre-events trainings provided to researchers particularly focused on helping researchers frame their research in a way that resonates for citizens.
Reduction of the stereotypes about researchers and their profession
The main way in which SCI-TREK reached to help reduce stereotypes about 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.
Increase, in the long term, of people taking up research careers
• By promoting the most exciting aspects of the researchers’ professional lives in online events.
• By putting forward actual professional experiences from researchers whenever it has been possible.
A better understanding of the European Union among the general public
Through the European corners done on each university's website and on www.Sciences.be SCI-TREK widely informed the participants about the role of the EU in the fields of research and innovation and its related policies. As described above, these spaces had been an opportunity to provide key facts and figures about the EU’s research programmes and how these contribute (both in absolute and relative terms) to address today’s and tomorrow’s societal , environmental and technological challenges having or soon to have a direct impact on the participants lives. In that sense, showing how the EU uses programmes such as Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, as well as structural funds to support the achievement of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals had been a key to explaining the link between public policy and tangible global challenges.
In addition, participating universities used the opportunity of the SCI-TREK NIGHT to promote some high impact EU research projects in which their researchers have been involved in, especially in the form of inserts included in the videos disseminated in various locations online. Finally, all the promotional and online communication materials bore the EU emblem and all participating researchers have been asked to mention any EU funding they may benefit from, or any positive impact EU researchers mobility and collaboration may have on their own research and career.