Local programmes for global issues: let's join forces
Michel'Angelo Grima Hall Annex
With more and more organisations focusing their work on climate issues and biodiversity loss, there is an opportunity to connect and partner with scientific institutions around the world to create global programmes that are locally more relevant, and impactful.
This workshop will be divided in four groups around four themes: creating an exhibition, connection with nature, tech & innovation and science learning & education. Each group of discussion will be led by one speaker who will present how they identified new and more diverse international partnerships to nurture a culture of collaboration and innovation, and to engage the widest audience with localised content.
Opportunities for international collaborations can be endless, so what are the new drivers and motivations to collaborate, how to create truly impactful programmes together, are we innovative and different, and, ultimately, what is the measure of success?
Outcomes: what will participants get from this session? Skills, knowledge, experience etc.
This workshop is an opportunity to learn about various initiatives and models for international collaborations and programming around four themes. It will also open to a discussion and exchange of experiences between the participants with the aim of creating a ‘toolbox’ or series of recommendations to act as a guide to decision-making. The session will hopefully bring together a wide range of institutions, which may spark ideas for new future collaborations.
Session speakers
Head of Wildlife Photographer of the Year Programme
The Natural History Museum, London UK, has been working in collaboration with the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata, India to run the Young Minds for a Compassionate World programme, funded by the British Council India as part of the India/UK Season of Culture. The programme was run as a pilot for future engagement through the Wildlife Photographer of the Year brand, reaching our international audiences and creating advocates for the planet as part of the museum’s strategy to 2031. The aim of the programme is to connect young people with nature in their local communities, teach them to tell stories through nature photography, and empower them to become advocates for people and planet. An exhibition of their work, and a programme of digital events will continue the legacy of the programme and open it up to a wider online audience.
Pauline will lead on the 'Connecting young people to nature' theme
International Project Curator
Injecting Hope is the latest science partnership project that sees the Science Museum Group, National Council of Science Museums, and the Guangdong Science Center working together to develop a shared exhibition vision for their respective audiences in the UK, India and China respectively. This joint exhibition project explores the science and development of vaccines through the context of the recent Covid-19 pandemic. Injecting Hope is visiting four cities in the UK, four cities in China, and five cities in India in three simultaneous national tours before the end of its run in October 2025. In addition to the museum exhibition, the tour in India will also be accompanied by a bus which will bring digital elements, museum explainers and key objects to rural communities.
Sheldon will lead on the 'Co-curating exhibitions on global topics' theme
To help address Covid-Canyon related gaps exacerbated from the pandemic in learning and science, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) is executing an award-winning initiative, called the Learning Lunchbox; the delivery of free STEM kits with over 10-hours of content around key science themes to underserved youth at critical human service based organizations, such as foodbanks, homeless shelters, foster homes and more. Over 150,000 Learning Lunchboxes have been distributed worldwide, including in Dubai at the World Expo, France, London, Barbados, and throughout the U.S. with the White House and other federal agencies. COSI partners with other scientific institutions around the world, such as the Museum of London, Smithsonian, and more with a community-centric approach that include local leaders to equip them with tools to help foster science literacy.
Stephen will lead on 'Learning kits: a community-centric approach to science literacy' theme
In December 2020, within the framework of the cultural season Africa2020, universcience organized a hackathon with a dozen of FabLabs spread over the African continent (Dakar, Cotonou, Kigali, Johannesburg, etc.) where the objective was that participants could find solutions to meet Sustainable Developpment Goals (SDGs) that they had selected. During this event, they documentated the prototypes so that they could be shared with others. In 2021, following this experience, Universcience launched a call for projects aimed at supporting the creation / diversification of Fablabs in Africa by proposing to equip and train these places according to their submitted project. The main goal is to support local initiatives into structuring projects (surrounding the SSDGs) and to foster the networking of these FabLabs, not only in Africa but also globally.
Hélène will lead on the 'Promoting Tech & Innovation' theme
