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Science communication in Southeastern Europe: a special blend?

In most of Europe, changes in EU paradigms and novel funding structures have a strong impact on science communication practice. However − in sharp contrast with their EU peers − professionals and organisations in the Southeastern Europe (SEE) region, with its mixture of well-established member states, recent member states and those in different stages of the accession process, don’t seem to care too much for the sci-comm status at EU level and its perspective. Are SEE professionals ignorant of their destiny, or are they perhaps equipped with different knowledge, practices and instruments for science communication, its numerous appearances and forms, and a different know-how for leading a dialogue between science and society? Are these territories able to grow and flourish without EU support?

In this session, science engagement professionals from Trieste, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia and Thessaloniki will be presenting their initiatives, combining a poster showcase with a fishbowl discussion. A great introduction to next year’s Ecsite Conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Facilitator

Dobrivoje Lale Eric
Head of Department of International Cooperation
Centar za promociju nauke
Belgrade
Serbia

Session legacy

First of all, we've experienced a serious organisational failure - no one from local team appeared, we didn't get evaluation forms neither any logistic support; our unusual venue wasn't prepare at all so we did the space setup and whole work on our own; photographer and/or video team didn't appear as well, meaning that any formal document or record that our session actually happened is not existing. Except us, our colleagues and few people from the audience who also faced challenges to find the venue as no one was nearby to direct them and show the way.

From the content perspective, it was like an informal meeting of the SEE people (around 20 of us) and up to 10 colleagues from elsewhere (few that we know and few who came on their own).

When speaking about organisational problems, I have to mention that session's name was changed at some later point without actually communicating that with me/us, which I saw only when the program was initially released online. From my professional perspective, that's quitet strange, as you can't just name things based on yours personal view or (limited) knowledge.

Still, the session passed mostly as it was planned (one panelist couldn't attend the conference at the end), we exchanged our knowledge and practices, and undertook that in quite an unusual manner related to the unusual space (posters + fishbowl).

Since the following ECSITE is in our part of Europe, that will probably give additional value and visibility to our particular and generally authentic scie-comm activities. Having that in mind, I'm just regretting that we didn't have a chance to kick-off it in a proper way and had to struggle with "unusual" circumstances.

Session speakers

Paola Rodari
Towards ESOF 2020 Trieste "Science in the City" Programme Manager
Trieste International Foundation (FIT)
Trieste
Italy
In 2020 Trieste will host the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), a biennial pan-European event created by EuroScience and dedicated to scientific research and innovation. ESOF is the largest interdisciplinary science meeting in Europe, with approximately 5000 delegates and the involvement of thousands of citizens. It is dedicated to scientific research and innovation and offers a unique framework for interaction and discussion for scientists, innovators, policy makers, entrepreneurs and the general public. Due to its geographical position and the town historical bonds, ESOF Trieste 2020 is making a special effort to mobilize the Central and South Eastern regions of Europe, which were not enough represented in the past editions. Many events and projects have already started in order to anticipate the 2020 event, strengthen the networks and test formats and ideas. Examples of these events will be brought, such as a resident artists program which involve scientists and artists between Trieste and Romania.
Andreja Perat
Project Manager
Ustanova Hiša eksperimentov
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Situated in the heart of Europe, Slovenia is a boutique country between the Alps, Mediterranean Sea, mysterious Karst and Pannonian Plain. Located at the crossroads of the main European cultural and trade routes. Diverse history and geography reflects in our science communication nationwide. For the lay public Hiša eksperimentov, Slovenian science center, became recognized as a place where you seek for the answers to your questions, the place you become inspired for research and innovation, the place where you get inspired to implement critical thinking in your everyday life… Unfortunately we are still perceived as a playground for children from national institutions and ministries, even from the media point of view we are still often stigmatized as miscellaneous. What are the measures we are taking and how we are echoing the trends in Southeast European Region? How we envision the dialogue between Science and Society in the frame of our historical and futuristic Science Capital?
Kristina Duvnjak
Head of education programme
Bioteka - association for promotion of biology and related sciences
Zagreb
Croatia
Since Bioteka is not a science center in a conventional way, but a non-governmental organization, the context in which we perform our daily work has a notable difference. Croatia doesn’t financially support science centers and offers too little or almost no funding for organizations working in the field of science communication/popularization. On that note we are at the rear of EU countries. Bioteka can offer an inspiring story of moderate and independent success in somewhat unbelievable conditions. Only as of recent years conditions have started to improve, primarily because of Croatia’s EU accession and a lot of work done by individuals, not so much because of governmental change in policies or practices. One of the major topics here is the importance of international cooperation in our historically complex region which has similar difficulties in funding and networking/strengthening of like-minded organizations in general. We see big changes coming our SEE way as many new opportunities arise in the possibilities of cooperation with long time EU members, recent members and possible new countries. Therefore, I will give an overview of our initiatives and projects regarding nationwide and EU wide projects in biodiversity, ecology, citizen science and STEM, as well as present our growing efforts in working with gifted students.
Krešimir Čanić
Programme director
Science Education Centre Zagorje Croatia
Zagreb
Croatia
The ZEZ Cooperative was founded in 2016 (as a private initiative) which has continued the efforts of its founders on finding a local partner who could offer a land or building to build on/renovate, and get non refundable EU funds for creating a science centre. The local partners were found in 2017 in the town of Donja Stubica where an old castle of historic importance and the surrounding land will be renovated into a science centre with a science park around it. One of the founders of ZEZ Cooperative, Association Professor Balthazar, has been organizing Science Picnic for seven years. Science Picnic started as a science popularization one-day event in the open, and gradually rose to a three-day event. It is the biggest science popularization event in Croatia, involving approximately 400 volunteers/educators from various NGOs, student sections, faculties and secondary and even elementary schools exhibiting/performing science shows in 100+ positions. Over the years, Science Picnic cooperated and exchanged science popularizers' workshops and presentations from 15 EU and non-EU countries. Another founder, FabLab (also NGO), performs several projects, like DOIT – Entrepreneurial skills for young social innovators; FabLabNet – networking of institutions coordinated by MUSE; Make-IT (Understanding Collective Awareness Platforms with the Maker Movement). Individuals can contribute and influence national policies related to science communication and some of us have been dealing seriously with these issues for several years.
Dobrivoje Lale Eric
Head of Department of International Cooperation
Centar za promociju nauke
Belgrade
Serbia
Center for the Promotion of Science was a big deal when initially announced in 2010. Since then, however, its programs and activities are growing, yet financial, logistical and political support is gradually decreasing, causing sometimes drastic measures and negative consequences. Nevertheless, as a biggest pan-national science promotion initiative, May Month of Mathematics (M3), established back in 2012, by joint forces of the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Center for the Promotion of Science, with initial support from the German Mathematical Society and its president then, Gunter Ziegler, is flourishing throughout Serbia. Existing for six years now and reaching audience in 50+ cities, small towns and even villages, M3 generated one fantastic achievement − after first three editions, the enrollment of the candidates at the Mathematical Faculty of the Belgrade University has been tripled! Going even further, its organisers gradually started to collect information about completely independent M3 events, organised by non-related local activists, math lovers and enthusiasts, or by individual schools. Therefore, month of May is shaped by math throughout Serbia. Center for the Promotion of Science is a public institution, founded by the Ministry of Science in 2010. The principal goal - construction of first large-scale science center in this part of Europe - was never reached due to many financial and political cha(lle)nges, yet Center gained its prominent role in science communication in Serbia and throughout Europe by original programs and collaborative activities with dozens of partners and peers.
Vessela Gertcheva
Program Director
Muzeiko Foundation
Sofia
Bulgaria
As the first science centre in Bulgaria dedicated entirely to children, the Muzeiko is promoting play as a learning mechanism in culture, which has a completely different approach and expectations to education and children development. Is play a serious business? What have we learned and can these lessons be applied in science education for children globally?
Thanassis Kontonikolaou
Thanassis Kontonikolaou
General Manager
NOESIS - Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum
Thermi
Greece
NOESIS has been the first science center in Greece since 2004. In a non-formal educational context, diverse audiences are in need of a different approach regarding science communication that would fit to their learning profiles. Back in 2009, at NOESIS, we ran for the first time in our region a summer camp for primary school pupils that would address issues for science and technology in a way that only a science center could develop and implement. For adults, a science cafe has been organized in cooperation with the British Council and the French Institute in Thessaloniki since 2006. A large scale event, Astroparty, that has science communication and scientific literacy in its core, started initially in the Researchers’ Night context. Since then, it has developed and grown bigger individually through the years with thousands of participants from all societal and age groups. During the last two years, NOESIS has welcomed new audiences that bear distinctive characteristics compared to the previous ones. Refugee and migrant groups from nearby hot spots visit NOESIS accompanied by NGO members. A special program has been developed to fit to this audience. A show in the planetarium has been translated in Arabic, and guided tours in the museum of technology are offered in Arabic with the help of translators to groups of families and groups of children who have lost their families and are alone. A sincere, self funded initiative by a non-profit organization, such as NOESIS, that justifies the term inclusiveness in its profile.

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