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.
“Everything is broken!” This is a frequent complaint among visitors to science centres. But equally often, visitors think an exhibit is broken only because they didn’t understand how to use it properly. How do we prevent these two scenarios and...
A number of playful discussion formats are being developed and used in science centres. In addition to aiding informal learning about science, these discussions also support participants in finding and expressing their own views based on facts...
Networking & Partnerships
Established centres have opportunities to build relationships with emerging centres in developing countries and/or different cultural settings. Emerging centres want to learn from established ones and connect with their ideas and exhibitions....
Networking & Partnerships
This session will assess the contribution of the science centre community to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals established in the UN’s Declaration on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Toronto...
Networking & Partnerships
The data we collect about institutions says a lot about how we perceive our mission. We can usually find data about the numbers of visitors and their demographic statistics, as well as financial data such as annual turnover and physical data such...
Different approaches to social networking are possible because it is a continuously evolving medium. But what seems to be of primary interest is stimulating dialogue. Compared to the official character of a press office, social networks allow...
The ontogeny of an exhibit commences from fertilization (revelation) which is frequently preceded by an introductory love-play (discussion). The fertilization gives life to the exhibit embryo (idea). Thousands of premature exhibit forms mature (...
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...
The modern fulldome multimedia system is a mind-blowing and truly immersive environment which has the unique ability to surround audiences with multimedia content. This intense experience can be used to impress, move, teach or simply entertain...
Research, theory & evaluation
Join this workshop to run an experiment – using real lab equipment – as if you were part of an actual research team looking for a treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Science communicators will share their experiences of collaborating with...
Despite the great significance of the impact of science on our history and our daily lives, science is not routinely considered as a key cultural value in our societies. In this session we will hear from three EU funded projects: PLACES, CASC and...
Networking & Partnerships
Science centres and museums are perceived as centres for middle-class, mainly white, visitors. Why should this be? Shouldn’t science be for all, irrespective of ethnicity, education, age, or socio-economic status? This session will look at three...
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