Background
Friday 28 September has been declared Researchers’ Night by the European Commission. Across Europe, hundreds of activities will be showing how exciting, fun and relevant to day-to-day living research actually is. The target group for the events is the widest public possible, and especially young people. Activities will include experiments, workshops, hands-on activities, science shows, exhibitions, science cafés and many other opportunities to meet researchers face-to-face.
Researchers’ Night was held for the first time in 2005, when many different events were organised across Sweden. In 2006, activities took place in nine different regions and this year there will be eleven local events in Gävle, Göteborg, Kalmar, Karlstad, Kristianstad, Luleå, Skellefteå, Skövde, Stockholm, Trollhättan and Örebro respectively. In addition, an interactive web cast will show highlights from the different events. Furthermore children and young people are invited to take part in a European contest: “draw yourself as a researcher”.
The Swedish activities are coordinated under the common name ForskarFredag (Research Friday in English) by the association Vetenskap & Allmänhet (Public and Science). Financial support is given by the European Commission, the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) and the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA).
More information and details of other activities across Europe can be found on the European Commission´s website Researchers in Europe
