HUMANITIES ROCK! · HUMANITIES ROCK! Humanities and Social Sciences on stage in Ljubljana

Humanities rock! Humanities and Social Sciences on stage in Ljubljana

Summary description of the project objectives The main objective of the project HUMANITIES ROCK! consisted of bringing researchers in humanities and social sciences closer to the public at large, and improving the public perception of their research. Therefore the project also aimed at tackling the existing stereotypes about researchers, i.e. weird individuals isolated from the general society, stuck in the past and using incomprehensible vocabulary. Furthermore, researchers in humanities and social sciences are not even considered as being of the same rank as their colleagues from natural sciences! It was therefore intended to give to the wording 'humanities and social sciences' the meaning it had before the society became completely consuming and commerce-oriented. The 2009 Researchers' Night also offered the opportunity of celebrating the 90-years of Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana. Work performed: during the project The work was articulated around four work packages, i.e. awareness campaign, activities during the night, impact assessment and management. Awareness campaign - Elaboration of a clear and strong message to be delivered to the public at large; - Identification of a professional agency in charge of the elaboration of the overall awareness strategy to be adapted to the specific needs of the research non-profit sector; elaboration of a long- term communication strategy between researchers and public at large, reinforced by the celebration of the 90 years existence of the Faculty of Arts; - Launch of a competition for the best Slovenian translation of the wording 'humanities rock'; - Promotional material: interactive website, badges, stickers, book markers, brochures, Slavic fairy tales; messages on the public advertising (posters, billboards) connected to the website information (answers on website to questions raised on posters); - Communication means: daily/monthly press, amongst which the most read throughout the country, i.e. Dnevnik, web news, radio programmes, public advertisements on billboards; - Cooperation with the other Slovenian funded project for the setting up of a common website, and organisation of four common press conferences; - Advertising about the 2010 poster competition (elementary and secondary schools); - Spreading of detailed information (programme of activities, invitations) by partners and devoted organisations; - Public distribution of promotional material in public spaces (buses, main streets, squares public libraries , bars, restaurants etc in Ljubljana) by students Activities during the night - Several interactive activities guided by researchers, promoting their achievements, presenting their job and transferring some knowledge in a friendly and pleasant way; - Direct involvement of the researchers in charge with the communication organisations, direct involvement in the media (interviews, round tables, radio broadcasts, etc), underlining the relevance of social sciences and humanities in dealing with contemporary issues; - Varied programme of activities (29), implemented throughout the centre of the town and the various institutions involved, amongst which the most successful: the theatre of Asiatic studies researchers (repeated twice as a result of the success and to be organised in the national cultural centre in March 2010) Impact assessment - Carried out on the basis of a questionnaire both prior and after the event; - Collection and processing of 1 382 questionnaires. Summary conclusion: - certain improvement regarding he public perception of researchers in social sciences and humanities (from 71 % favourable opinion prior to the event to 77 % after); - relatively low percentage share of young people declaring their interest for the profession: 27 % prior to the night, 29 % after; - significant impact of the communication campaign on the public awareness about the R.N.: from 8 % before to 37 % after.

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