MEDNIGHT objective is to generate a Mediterranean strengthen unity, visibilising our common problems and to reinforce and Support the Science working towards our major concerns: Science is the future and is a matter for men, women, children and youngsters.
From the European Union different global actions are promoted to make scientific and technical careers attractive for the youngest. The European Science Week at the time or the European Researchers’ Night and the Open Schooling programs promoted by SWAFS today are some of the strategic lines developed to try to promote the approach of young people towards the professions of the future. From MEDNIGHT we will make our contributions to these EU strategic lines to promote scientific vocations among the youngest and the general population. We want to show the attractiveness and importance of the researchers’ work and professions to the general public, carrying out a series of activities framed under the common umbrella of what we have come to call “Mediterranean Science”.
It is about making visible the set of scientific activities and the figure of the researchers of our closest environment and for this we will concentrate our efforts on showing Mediterranean science as part of our historical and cultural heritage, as well as the importance and benefits that it can bring us, to all as a society, to be part of the research world.
We will place special emphasis on female researchers in the Mediterranean
Historically, the science carried out by men has been shown, which makes it difficult for a large part of the population, women, to identify themselves with the achievements. Therefore, in addition to making visible the figure of women in research, we will call our event in Spanish, Italian, Greek… in a feminine way: like in Spanish “La Noche Mediterránea de las Investigadoras” (‘The Mediterranean Night of Female Researchers’), together with its original English title “European Researchers’ Night”.
Our ultimate goal is that young people and society in general feel attracted to research careers and to science and for this we will generate a strategic framework that allows us to focus the efforts of the participating entities under the same vision.
The main idea of the proposal is to value science and scientist work through its segments that can be more easily recognisable to the public we want to address. To do this, we will define and value Mediterranean science, with the aim of creating a feeling of identity and belonging to it and recognise it as something we can be proud of. In the first place we ourselves, the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, but also for the recognition towards it that there may be from external agents, such as tourists and visitors from all parts of the world and especially from our European fellow citizens. It is also about showing the appropriateness of the exchange of knowledge and experiences between European countries and more specifically the Mediterranean ones.
Goal setting
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To show science, scientific activity and its actors as a source of progress and well-being. Thanks to science we improve our quality of life. Showing the social benefits of science and especially Mediterranean Science, makes us feel it as an intangible heritage that we must take care of. With this objective, what we want is that there be a citizen approach and to establish the necessary confidence bases so that young people are attracted to its operation and the paths that lead us to it. A sub-objective and important goal is to raise the awareness about climate and environment, paying particular attention to the EU Green Deal.
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To show the impact of scientific activity in our day-to-day life.With this objective we show that science is everywhere and we go one step further. If in the previous point we were looking for the approach, in this we go a little further, facilitating understanding, why and how it benefits us socially. And we get it by showing a lot of engaging activities with a high scientific component, available to everyone.
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To emphasise the science developed by women. A large percentage of the researchers involved will be women. We will exalt the figure of women in science and of the great female scientists of the Mediterranean. In this way we will be promoting the participation of 50% of the population that has normally seen the male stereotype within the scientific activity, with which we also demystify this fact.
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To show how rewarding it can be as a scientist to participate in research projects. Here we begin to identify in the first person what it means to be an active participant in the previous activities. Experiences, testimonials and games through which both male and female researchers show the successes harvested, achievements and what this means on a personal and professional level. And how much you travel!
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To show the diversity of existing options at the end of the scientific studies. Being a scientist does not mean wearing a lab coat and locking yourself in a laboratory, although it involves that too. There are a wide variety of professional alternatives beyond academic life. The business world, the Scientific Communication world or the R&D transfer of results. Patents, training, R&D management, entrepreneurship, investment and many more…
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To show the different skills we acquire when studying a scientific career. Following the line of the previous point, with this objective we manage to reduce the existing fear about what compensates for doing science careers when it comes to getting a job in the future.
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To reduce taboos and prejudices about people who develop scientific careers. We continue to demystify the vision of the researcher with a lab coat locked in the laboratory. You can be a scientist and lead a normal life, even making jokes! We will carry out activities of scientific dissemination using classical cultural formats, where scientists themselves tell us their research through dance, theater or stand-up comedy monologues.
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To show the open character of our scientific research. The concept of Open Science extends beyond the policies of open publication. As encouraged by European Union and many other institutions, science must be public, and research must be done with and for society. The Night’s activities will help to incorporate citizens to the different stages of the scientific tasks, sharing ideas, showing results, and fostering new views on specific lines of research.
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To increase the awareness on the collaborative and European nature of science. Our research is international, because the necessary and effective mobility of research staff, but also thanks to European funding. Through the successive framework programs Europe supports quality science and promotes international and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Night’s events will publicize the European projects developed in each institution and will show the international collaboration of different research groups. Special attention will be paid in the youngest researchers funded through programmes such as MSCA Individual Fellowships.