The popularization of science is traditionally conducted through the Science Festival and the European Researchers’ Night, along with a wide range of smaller activities held at the University’s constituent units. The common goal of these activities is to bring science closer to the general public through the organization of lectures, workshops, round tables, exhibitions, and other events. Additionally, these events include visits to scientific institutions and laboratories, allowing participants to familiarize themselves with the latest scientific achievements.
SCIENCE FESTIVAL
For 21 years, the University of Split has been supporting and actively participating in the organization of the Science Festival. This event aims to popularize science among the general public by presenting activities and achievements in the field of science, improving the public perception of scientists, and motivating young people to engage in research and acquire new knowledge. The themes of the Science Festival in recent years have been: Colors (2019), Culture of Science (2021), Life (2022), and Nature and Society (2023). Due to the global pandemic, the Science Festival was not held in 2020, while in 2021 and 2022 it was held in a hybrid format with numerous video materials available to all interested parties. In 2022, over 150 activities were held, and in 2023, a record interest from young people and the general public was recorded with over 200 activities, including lectures, workshops, presentations, exhibitions, experiments, panels, round tables, and other events. In addition to the engagement of the University of Split’s constituent units, museums, institutes, KBC Split, the Public Health Teaching Institute of Split-Dalmatia County, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and numerous associations also participated in the program.
I, RESEARCH!
The European Researchers’ Night is an initiative traditionally held since 2005 in more than 300 cities across Europe, aiming to bring science closer to the public. This initiative is part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, which are focused on promoting research and innovation in Europe. The European Researchers’ Night is held on the last Friday in September and includes various activities such as popular science lectures, workshops, interactive exhibitions, quizzes, lab tours, and other events that allow scientists to share their knowledge with the public in an entertaining and understandable way.
In the last five years, the University of Split has participated as a project partner in two editions of the European Researchers’ Night, in 2018 and 2019, within the Horizon 2020 project Techno-Past Techno-Future (TPTF_ERN), and in 2022 and 2023 as the coordinator of the Horizon Europe project Reconnect Science with the Blue Society (Blue-connect). Additionally, the University participated as an associate partner in the virtual activities of the European Researchers’ Night in 2020.
The Techno-Past Techno-Future project (2018-2019) was successfully implemented by a consortium of eighteen partners, including Croatian universities and scientific institutes, led by the Ministry of Science and Education. Within the Blue-connect project, the European Researchers’ Night was held on September 30 and October 1, 2022, and on September 29, 2023, under the motto I, Research, with more than 200 activities prepared, involving over 17,000 visitors in five Croatian coastal cities: Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik.