On Friday 29 September, over 500 researchers across Sweden will be inspiring the public to find out more about science for European Researchers’ Night. This year, more than 400 activities are being run in 29 Swedish cities during the Swedish celebrations, known as ForskarFredag. Researchers’ Night is Europe’s largest science festival with activities in over 300 cities.
Maker spaces, behind the scenes tours, experiments, science cafes, film screenings, games, performances, demonstrations, discussions and even fictional expeditions are some of the Swedish activities on offer throughout the afternoon and evening. The programme offers activities for both school classes and the general public intrigued by how things work and how science affects their everyday lives.
ForskarFredag is coordinated by the Swedish non-profit organisation VA (Public & Science) with local activities run by science centres, museums, universities, municipalities and regional development councils across the whole of Sweden.
Draw a scientist competition
The theme of 2017 is The image of the researcher which will challenge stereotypical images of scientists and researchers. Pupils aged 6 to 12 are being invited to draw a picture of themselves as a researcher. The pictures will be analysed by Anne-Li Lindgren, Professor at the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Stockholm University, who will also compare them with entries to a similar competition in 2007, to investigate whether children’s images of scientists and science have changed in the past 10 years.
“The drawing competition is a simple way of getting pupils to think more about what research is and what researchers do,” said Lena Söderström, the national coordinator of European Researchers’ Night in Sweden. The pictures will be archived by The Swedish Archive of Children’s Art that offers open access to researchers, students and the general public.
Researchers’ Grand Prix
Visitors are also welcome to attend the regional finals of the Researchers’ Grand Prix, a science communication competition which challenges researchers to present their research in an entertaining and informative way in just four minutes. Regional heats are being held in Blekinge, Borås, Lund, Malmö, Skövde, Stockholm and Uppsala. Researchers from other cities are also welcome to submit a recorded entry online to win a place in the final, which will be held in November in Stockholm.
To find out more about European Researchers’ Night in Sweden (ForskarFredag), visit our English page.
European Researchers’ Night in Sweden (ForskarFredag) is funded by the European Commission under HORIZON 2020 in the framework of the Marie Sklodowska Curie actions, GA 722934.
ForskarFredag is funded by AFA Insurance, IKEM – Innovation and Chemical Industries in Sweden, Jernkontoret – the Swedish Steel Producers’ Association, The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Swedish Association of Professional Scientists, the Oscar and Maria Ekman Philanthropic Fund, The Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers, SULF – the Swedish Association of University Teachers and Researchers, The Association of Swedish Engineering Industries, Wenner-Gren Foundations, the Swedish Research Council, Vinnova – Sweden’s Innovation Agency and the ÅForsk Foundation.
