i3S debuts as host of the European Researchers' Night
Astronomical observations, scientific demonstrations, debates, lectures, games and even a paper chase on the discovery of vaccines against COVID-19…. From all of this, the unprecedented celebration of the European Researchers' Night (NEI 2021) took place on September the 24th and for the first time at two different places of the University of Porto: at the Asprela campus, and more specifically to the i3S, at the Campo Alegre campus. i3S debuted as host of this initiative and promoted a set of activities in the Institute’s common spaces in collaboration with UPTEC and INESC TEC.
Over the afternoon and evening, more than 200 visitors came to the i3S and were able to learn about the best science at the Asprela campus through contact with dozens of researchers.
“This is perhaps the city’s campus with the highest density of people working in Science and Development, hence the importance of promoting scientific activities here that are open to the public”, explains Júlio Borlido Santos, coordinator of i3S participation in the consortium REGGAE. This initiative “is a deserved event to recognize the importance of researchers for the development of our society and we hope that it represents a first step towards more cultural activities on the Asprela campus”.
The highlights are the documentary “The plastic hike”, the lecture given by Alexandre Quintanilha on “The importance of knowledge in the transition to the Anthropocene” and also the debate for survival, called “The Lifeboat”, in which Joana Ascenso, an astronomer at FEUP, was elected as the scientist who would contribute the most in the event of a downfall of civilization and the subsequent need to rebuild it. Alexandra Correia and Paulo Aguiar, respectively immunologist and neuroscientist at i3S, were his competitors for survival.
The Researchers' Night took place in more than 21 locations from the North to South of Portugal, allowing children and adults to have direct contact with researchers who produce knowledge in the country, carry out scientific experiments, and learn more about how to make our daily lives more sustainable and do so in the face of climate change. This year’s theme focused on the European Ecological Pact and sustainable development.
NEI is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and represents one of the main cultural events at national and European level, attracting millions of visitors each edition. Its purpose is to make known the lives of scientists and the research they carry out, stimulating curiosity and interest in society and promoting a scientific career among younger people. i3S is a partner in the REGGAE consortium (Researchers for European Green Growth and Education), together with Ciência Viva (coordination) and ITQB Nova, with the participation of several member institutions, including the Astrophysics Center of the University of Porto and the Biodiversity Gallery.