Descripción del proyecto
The vision of the CONNECT proposal is to engage, inspire and ultimately connect with researchers and the public at large in a quest to increase awareness about research and innovation activities and to boost public recognition of science and research education in Cyprus. In the framework of the proposed project, two European Researchers' Night (ERN) events will be organised in Cyprus in September 2022 and September 2023. The theme of the events, Mission: INSPIRE 2022 and Mission: CONNECT 2023, is inspired by the EU Missions aiming to mobilise and activate collective efforts to tackle common challenges and bring about lasting impact. The target audience is the public at large, attracting people regardless of their age, gender or scientific background, with a special focus on families, pupils and students. Having coordinated the organisation of the ERN events in Cyprus since 2006, the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), will seek to build on the experience accumulated over the years and established collaboration with local Research and Innovation (R&I) stakeholders from the academia, the public sector, industry as well as other actors in civil society to make the events successful. Key messages will be communicated through a vibrant and diverse awareness campaign and unique pre-events such as a flashmob, whilst the main events will bring together the public and researchers from all disciplines through hands-on experiments, prototype demos and simulations as well as through an online event engagement application, a treasure hunt, screenings of documentaries, science communication competitions and a Stand-Up Science Comedy Live Show to conclude festivities. CONNECT will also bring researchers at schools in order for them to actively engage with the younger generation but also promote a scientific approach to teaching for teachers, providing direct access to information about research performed in Cyprus in the priority topics of the EU missions.