RNEst16-17 · Researcher's Night 2016-2017 in Estonia

Researcher's Night 2016-2017 in Estonia

The 2017 European Researchers’ Night in Estonia was a series of several science-related events. Over 900 fun and engaging events took place both in Tartu and all over Estonia. More than 300 scientists were involved on the events and around 100 different educational, medical, business, research and other institutions provided their special programs and contributed to the RN in Estonia which had around 50 000 participants. The main aim of the Estonian Researchers’ Night 2017 was to highlight the most recent and important accomplishments of Estonian researchers and scientists and to encourage young people to choose careers in research, engineering and STEM-related areas. The objective was to introduce youngsters these professions through numerous entertaining hands-on activities. The Estonian edition of the European Researchers’ Night 2017 focus was on research ethics. How far can we go with human subject research? What are the ethical limitations of artificial intelligence? Those were a few of the topics of the events. The activities offered to the public at large in all its components, with a focus on kids and young people included a lot of hands-on experiments, science shows, demos, guided tours, stargazing, competitions, quizzes, games, visits to labs, simulations, open-air events, lectures. The importance of the events lies in bringing the researchers closer to the public at large and raise the awareness of the contribution of researchers to our everyday lives and the “human face” of research will become more apparent. The events highlighted the local researchers behind the discoveries, methodologies and devices that have changed and are still changing the face of science and technology in Estonia and Europe raised public awareness of the necessity of the work local researchers do. All the events were engaging both the public and researchers, enabling them to present their work in the most appropriate way, resulting in the public asking the most relevant questions on the issues covered and thus empowering the researchers to offer the public the answers they are looking for. Overall objectives of the Researchers Night in Estonia were: - to offer various public events and innovative activities, combining links with researchers and science demonstrations; - to encourage young people to choose scientific careers in order to enable them to develop new skills and find fulfilling jobs; - to enhance public recognition of researchers through the setting up of a direct contact between them and the public at large in both formal and informal settings; - to stress the pan-European nature of the Researchers’ Night initiative by organizing joint events with other RNEst16-17 organizers from different parts of Europe; - to point out the essence of being a European citizen with the help of European corners run by specialists able to distribute the latest and the most relevant information about science-related opportunities offered by the European Union. The project has reached its objectives and proved to be successful.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union