From the lab to the streets: Science takes over Coimbra’s downtown
From 5pm to midnight on 26 September, the heart of the city will be buzzing with over 600 researchers and more than 90 activities for European Researchers’ Night.
Coimbra’s downtown will once again host the European Researchers’ Night (ERN) on 26 September, from 5 pm to midnight, with the theme "SCIGLO -Science for Global Challenges", organised in Coimbra by the University of Coimbra (UC), through its Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), in partnership with the Coimbra Downtown Promotion Agency.
More than 600 UC researchers will engage the public through numerous activities, including experiments, interactive games, practical demonstrations and talks, welcoming audiences of all ages.
“There has been a growing interest in the initiative, with researchers being more motivated than ever to share their work with the public,” said Ana Santos Carvalho, the project coordinator, underlining the growing engagement of the university community. More research centres from the University of Coimbra are participating in the event, covering an even wider range of fields.
Additionally, 70 volunteer doctoral students will share their 'science objects' — items that illustrate their ongoing research — which will be displayed in an exhibition at the Coimbra Municipal Market following the event.
The programme also includes Researchers@School, which takes researchers into local schools, and the Science Route, which extends the initiative beyond the night itself.
In the run-up to the main event, the programme features Science Friday, with four preview activities in Coimbra’s downtown, and will also include the collaboration of PubhD, celebrating its eighth anniversary on 25 September.