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.
Heather KingMarianne AchiamRooske Franse
Innovative ideas often originate from cross-pollination among disciplines. Informal science education (ISE) is a domain wherein many academic disciplines come together, for example: learning is a research focus for child development, psychology...
Dominique BotbolClaudia Schleyerkatell barthélémyMikko KauhanenTouko Korhonen
Designers will discuss their experiences in the development process of an exhibition as either in-house or external exhibition designers:
- In-house designers enable greater collaboration insofar as they are fully integrated into the...
Sheena LaursenMette Stentoft TherkildsenMai MurmannJustin Dillon
This session will focus on actions and activities that are being developed to promote healthy lifestyles. We will show how science centres are creating transforming experiences aimed at a broad and diverse audience. Education researchers have...
Mark ElamAlexandra WeilenmannTommaso VenturiniCatharina Ländström
As many of today’s science centres wish to foster public engagement with current research, so too are many schools promoting student engagement with so-called socioscientific issues. Aiming to creatively combine these concerns, the...
Explainers & visitor services
Philipp HorstLeonel AlegreAnna SchaefersInes PRIETOManuel Roca
In our dreams, visitors attend our exhibitions, approach the exhibits and know exactly what to do. When they leave, they are smarter than before and feel happy. Visitors probably have the same dream. But if we look at reality, visitor interaction...
Explainers & visitor services
How do we present the nature of sciences and maths in our institutions? Do our visitors see what we want them to see? Do they understand the workings of science in the ways that we do? What do our staff think?
In this Pecha Kucha-...
Liz DeanStine FergusonAnne Tove Koldal
Most science centers increase their income by offering their facilities for meetings and events. Some centres arrange more targeted events for companies and organizations such as team building and holding entertaining competitions in the...
Sheena LaursenDavid HeywoodMichael Dzoga
Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education still misses the content of the letter “E”- engineering. The challenge is to advance engineering as part of the science’ education in schools, to develop the culture...
Margareta HallinFiorenzo GalliLuisa MassaraniKaren SitRobert WestIgnasi López VerdeguerLuigi Amodio
The starting point for the science centre movement were encapsulated in the goals of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, United States. But since these beginnings science centres have developed and evolved, for example:
- Science centers...
Josh GutwillJosh GutwillKaren WilkinsonElin RobertsElena Mashintsova
Humans have been making things since before recorded history. In recent times, however, with the advent of global production and a shift toward consumerism, “making” at home and in school have become lost arts. Children and adults can learn much...
Johannes-Geert HagmannHouston WilsonSven BakkenChristophe ChaffardonDaniel Rosqvist
Mobile applications are increasingly used in all the museums to help visitors discover exhibitions and content. In the particular case of interactive sciences centres, what could be the added value of these tools? Do they bring new content or...
Eric EdbladJonas EdbladJerk Zander
One of the most over-used words in corporate communications is ‘innovation’. An innovation culture is considered to be one of the most critical focus areas for organizations in the 21st Century and yet this is proving difficult to...
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