RN07CZECHREP · Researchers Night 2007 in the Czech Republic

The purpose of this project is to plan, prepare and implement Researcher’s Night in three major cities and twenty three other locations throughout the Czech Republic. This project aims to: present researchers as “normal” people to the general public, show research professions as interesting and fun thus making them appealing to young people, promote science in elementary and secondary schools, and demonstrate how Europe supports its researchers and the sciences. Eliminating gaps and building bridges between researchers and the general public is also a focus of this project. The Project is based on a partnership made up of five organisations. The participants have a wealth of experience with 5th and 6th Framework Programmes and with activities promoting researchers and science. Some of the partners also took part in Researcher’s Night 2006 in the Czech Republic. When planning the programme and the individual activities, emphasis was placed on interactivity and entertainment. Hands-on practical experiments, scientific demonstrations, guided tours through different research workplaces, competitions, and games are the main types of attractions prepared for the public. Researchers will be also presented in unexpected professions such as musicians, photographers, or writers and this will help to change the public perception of researchers as “mad” people closed up in their secretive, distant labs. The compulsory drawing competition and the EU stand will also be implemented in the three major locations. European support of research and development will be also demonstrated and researchers who have benefited from the support will give testimony in person. All in all, Researcher’s Night 2007 is a great opportunity for the public and the researchers to meet face to face and for proving that science plays an important part in our lives and that it can be also fun.