Annual Conference sessions
Browse all conference sessions since 2010
Science ♥ society
2019
"The blob: a genius without a brain".
2019
"Mathematics as Material Play"
Equity & Inclusion
2019
A blindfolded experience to grasp visual accessibility requirements.
Business & fundraising
2019
The session explores different models for financing our institutions and tackling the biggest challenges we face in the search for a diversified and balanced model.
Strategy & vision
2019
The Supreme Court of the Ecsite Conference will decide whether virtual reality (VR) in museums and science centres is visceral reality providing vital reactions, or just virtually rudimentary and very rubbish.
Research, theory & evaluation
2018
James Beacham is a particle physicist involved in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Watch a video of his keynote.
Science ♥ society
2018
“Go forth and collide, Multiply and create” is the motto of our Science Assembly. Inspired by religious revival meetings, we will offer you songs, laughter, inspiration, and meaning.
Exhibit development
2018
Are you facilitating creative team processes? Tired of always using the same old tricks? Interested in the wider potential of creative techniques? This session is for you.
Strategy & vision
2018
What is the future of science centre exhibitions? Do we need to stick to scientific phenomena, or focus on high tech and current science? Do we concentrate on objects or interaction? Or are physical exhibitions becoming obsolete in the digital era?
Research, theory & evaluation
2017
Professor Alice Roberts is an anthropologist, author and broadcaster, and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. Watch a video of her keynote.
Science ♥ society
2017
Nina Simon has been described as a “museum visionary” by Smithsonian Magazine for her audience-centred approach to design. Watch a video of her keynote.
Research, theory & evaluation
2016
Dr. Frans de Waal is a Dutch-American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behaviour and social cognition of primates. Speech title: Prosocial Primates: The Cooperative Background of Our Species
Equity & Inclusion
2016
Dr. Elizabeth Rasekoala is the President of African Gong – the Pan-African Network for the Popularisation of Science & Technology, and Science Communication. Watch a video of her keynote.
2015
Andrea Illy is the Chairman and CEO of illycaffè S.p.A., a family coffee business founded more than 80 years ago. Watch his speech on Ecsite's YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2014
Professor Ian Goldin is Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalisation and Development at Oxford University. He delivered a speech entitled "Individual and Collective Wisdom and Failure".
Science ♥ society
2014
Ahmet Üzümcü is the Director general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The OPCW is the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2013.
Strategy & vision
2013
Dominique Pestre is a social and political historian.Hos speech was entitled "What kind of innovation for the Anthropocene?". Watch the keynote on the Ecsite YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2013
Susan Greenfield is a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford and delivered a speech entitled “ The neuroscience of creativity – Making the most of 21st century technology”. Watch the keynote on the Ecsite YouTube channel.
Strategy & vision
2012
Martin Rees, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, gave a speech entitled "Space exploration, life and the cosmos".
Strategy & vision
2012
Carlo Ratti, Professor at the MIT, gave a talk entitled "Future Cities - The real-time city is now real!"
Science ♥ society
2011
Derrick de Kerckhove, Professor at the Department of French and former Director of the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto, gave a speech entitled "Navigating among the shoals and reefs of social, state and business controls in science and technology".
Strategy & vision
2011
Michael Jones Chief Technology Advocate, Google, gave a speech entitled "The Billionth Visitor".
The first Ecsite Conference took place in 1989. Here you can browse all Conference sessions since 2010. Use the search engine to look for people, topics...
Looking for an older session? Our digital records start in 2007, with programme pdfs attached to each conference page.
Lucy HawkingClayton Cutajar
Your opportunity to engage in conversation with author Lucy Hawking after hearing her keynote in the previous time slot.
Sebastian MartinSamar D. KirreshAmos BlantonCristina OlivottoRyan JenkinsJon Haavie
“Good tinkerers borrow, great tinkerers steal.” - As A. Kleon emphasises in his book “Steal like an Artist”, "no idea is original and all creators and their output are a sum of inspirations and heroes…”. Art & artists can inspire children,...
Lynda DunlopJelle de SchrijverLynda Dunlop
Since Socrates, philosophical questions are known to elicit exciting dialogues engaging both young people and adults. Science provides a fertile ground to explore these philosophical topics. Questions such as, ‘Is tackling climate change more...
Ryan JenkinsSebastian MartinYihsuan LinEduard Muntaner-PerichLuigi Anzivino
One outcome of the past two years of adapting programming to a socially distant and online format is communities coming together to explore topics through hands-on exploration. The pandemic has opened up new possibilities for collaboration and...
Marianne AchiamVasyl DunetsSaku TuominenOlivia Levrini
Covid-19 showed us that new models for education are not only possible, but can be enacted in a previously unimaginably short timeframe. The time is ripe for new, more equitable educational systems, in which multiple actors contribute to the...
Instead of regular sessions, join one of the informal meet-ups of various communities of science engagement practice.
Check the official conference app, the Whova app for details,...
Marjolein van BreemenBritta NagelAndreas GundelweinShirin Frangoul-BrücknerJussi ÄngesleväGabriele ZipfSundar Raman
The Future, or at least the museum of the future is here. In what seems to be a megatrend, the exhibitions and institutions dealing with visions of tomorrow and developing their audiences future-proof competences pop-up around the world. How do...
Nils Petter HauanInger HøstmarkAnna GunnarssonBeth HawkinsMaarten OkkersenTorhild Skåtun
An important social mission of any science centre or museum is to get teenagers interested in and fascinated by science. By doing so we hope that they become active citizens who contribute positively to the community, and potentially also choose...
María MenéndezAna NoronhaTobias WolffCatherine FrancheChristophe ChaffardonTobias WolffTina IbsenAudrey KorczynskaGuillaume TrapDaniel ScukaBarbara BudassiAna NoronhaRobert MeisnerAnna Arnadottir
This workshop is organised by the European Space Agency – ESA – and the Ecsite Space Group, the Ecsite thematic group that aims to improve and extend...
Dacha AtienzaCaroline BreunesseIrena CieslinskaJavier Hidalgo Gil
The renovation of a museum or permanent exhibition is one of the most complex processes for a museologist. It is not easy to know when, how or what to renew or change. In this roundtable, different museums that have undergone major renovations of...
Welcome to the 2022 Ecsite Conference’s official start. Expect speeches by officials, host and Ecsite representatives. And... the winners of the 2022 Mariano Gago Ecsite Awards will be revealed!
Research, theory & evaluation
Joe CookElsa BaileyJuliana RestrepoClaudia Gorr
Making a choice about the methods and tools to use to evaluate your exhibition can be a challenge.
Knowledge around evaluating learning at exhibits is important for educators, exhibit builders and researchers. In this interactive session,...
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