Project description
Raising awareness of science in an ever-changing world
Researchers frequently struggle with publicity and with making the findings of their studies better known to the general public. The EU-funded SCI-TREK project aims to raise awareness of research and innovation that have the potential to shape tomorrow’s societies and impact citizens’ lives in the context of ongoing global societal, environmental and technological transitions. The proposed actions will address children, teenagers, students and adults of all ages, taking into account the needs and expectations of each group and drawing useful inspiration from traditional communication principles and popular culture festivals.
Objective
"The SCI-TREK project aims to raise awareness about research and innovation that have the potential to shape tomorrow’s societies and impact citizen’s lives in the context of ongoing global societal, environmental and technological transitions (eg. adaptation to climate change, artificial intelligence, sustainable food systems, etc.). In order to bring researchers closer to the general public, all activities will be 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 will place participants at the heart of scientific journeys that might ultimately affect the way they think and live. The proposed actions will address children, teenagers, students and adults of all ages, taking into account the needs and expectations of each group.In order to successfully engage with its target audiences and bring them on a path of discovery alongside both Belgian and European researchers, SCI-TREK takes inspiration from traditional communication principles and popular culture festivals. For maximum impact and engagement, activities have therefore been designed with the following guiding principles in mind: ""Make it personal and human"", ""Make it exciting and fun!"", ""Make it clear"", ""Make it European"", and ""Make it sustainable"". Following these principles will help reach the following objectives: 1) Raise awareness about present and future societal, environmental and technological transitions, providing participants with evidence-based keys to understanding them; 2) Stimulate curiosity towards scientific subjects and generate interest in research careers among the young people; 3) Promote the scientific method to understanding and solving complex issues, in a context of mass information and weakening of expert opinion; 4) Foster dialog between researchers and citizens and reduce the stereotypes; 5) Promote European research and innovation."
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
1348 Louvain La Neuve
Belgium