Humanities Rocks · Humanities Rocks! Science on stage in Ljubljana for 100 years

Humanities Rocks! Science on stage in Ljubljana for 100 years

In contemporary societies there are still certain prevailing stereotypes about different professions. The most common stereotype about researchers is that they are weird individuals – typically male – who detached from the general society, conducting experiments in laboratories, surrounded by complicated technology and lacking communication skills to interact with ordinary people. Although social science researchers and humanities scholars do not necessarily fulfil the requirements of the above stereotype, they still use vocabulary which is largely incomprehensible to lay people. The overall objective of the HUMANITIES ROCK! project is to bring researchers closer to the general public and to increase awareness of research and innovation activities, with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers, creating an understanding of the impact of researchers' work on citizens’ daily lives and encouraging young people to embark on research careers. The specific objectives of the HUMANITIES ROCK! project are: • to increase awareness among the general public of the importance of research and innovation and to foresee more favourable general attitude towards its public funding, • to improve understanding of the key benefits that research brings to society, • to foster curiosity and deliver positive messages: promote researchers` career as an interesting job and a way of life, that science is fun, interesting and useful, etc., • to reduce stereotypes about researchers and their profession, • to increase, in the long term, the number of people taking up research careers, • to improve understanding of the European Union among the general public, • to improve the understanding and awareness of the cultural heritage we share in order to become an inclusive, responsible and tolerant society, • to enable people to become closer to and more involved with their cultural heritage (material and non‐material culture). To reach the objectives, it is absolutely necessary for researchers to communicate with the public at large, and between each other. Researchers do their jobs in various research institutes and centres, within and outside of academia, in nature, laboratories and in society. Their research is in many ways related to the public and the private sphere. We are aware of the gap between the general public and academiae and we will strive to bridge that gap. To show that investments in research are necessary not only for technical improvements but also for a better quality of life for everybody. We will address children, youth, adults, families and older people. Each of us is part of multiple social networks and adults contribute to the decision-making process among the young. Teenagers, when they are facing the decision about their future lives, ask their parents, grandparents, relatives, or friends for advice in order to make their decision more convincing and more sustainable.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union