Keys for sharing your project during the European Researchers Night

Last June I attended the webinar organized by the University of Cantabria’s “Unidad de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación” (UCC+i). The webinar was titled “Sharing your European project during the Researchers Night”. I have been an academic for fifteen years now, so assisting courses, webinars and seminaries is nothing new to me. In an academic career, learning is always a necessity, and this kind of training allows you to improve your research, grow on a professional level, and transmit all that you have learned to co-workers and students. Nevertheless, this webinar had a different goal. I didn’t focus solely on learning and improving your education to share among your peers, it also taught you how to present your research towards a wider and a more varied public, like the whole of society.

During the webinar’s presentation, and mostly thanks to the various examples provided by researchers, I was starting to see my project through various communication and outreach initiatives. Said webinar had a big effect on me. It motivated me to create, raise my creativity, and think how to share my project and my work with my town, Ciudad Real.

The seminars’ organizers taught us a variety of formats that could be used to share scientific research: workshops, games, strolls around the city, performances and shows, speed dating, or even cupcake making to spread European projects. We also learned some of the requirements that the strategies and tools should follow, such as being visual, interactive, using personalized materials, and to involve the public and encourage conversation. This last point is essential for disseminating research. Nevertheless, all of these formats can be equally impacting on the public if used with excitement, will to work and motivation.

I think that, in order to succeed in the broadcasting of your project, synergy and coordination with researchers of other scientific branches are essential, in order to build a multidisciplinary environment. Maybe the formats used by the different universities during this science-dedicated night are not yet fully decided and set, but I am sure that the different European projects that are being show next November 27 will have a big impact over the city and its citizens. We await you at the Investigators Night!

If you missed it, you can check it out through this link:

Estrella Díaz Sánchez

Distinguished researcher at the University of Castilla-La Mancha

Marie Curie Fellow at San Diego State University (USA)

COMPARTE EN TUS REDES SOCIALES CON EL HASHTAG #NIGHTSPAIN