Public Engagement
Public engagement activities are an important aspect of dot.rural's wider impact agenda. Communicating our research to the widest possible audience (especially those living in rural communities) is a key responsibility of every dot.rural researcher.
This page summarises some of our public engagement activities to date; for upcoming events, please visit our Events page.
You can also follow @dotrural on twitter.
Public Engagement Events
- National Science and Engineering Week – Discovery Day: Online competition ‘myTech Challenge’ launched at Satrosphere Science Centre, March 2010.
- National Science and Engineering Week – Tag the Stag activity as part of the Biodiversity Film Festival, Zoology, the University of Aberdeen, March 2010.
- Word Festival – Hosted live ‘E=mc2’ event, May 2010.
- Café Scientifique in the city, hosted by Prof David De Roure (Oxford), Waterstones Aberdeen, June 2010.
- Four Workshops at the Duthie Park Summer Festival, July 2010.
- Two-day TechFest event held at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen; reaching an audience (adults and children) of ~3000, September 2010 and September 2011.
- TechFest Lunchbytes session by Gina Maffey (dot.rural PhD student) at Satrosphere science centre (video), September 2010.
- TechFest Lunchbytes session by Brian Masson (dot.rural Associate) at Portlethen Library, September 2010.
- Speed Science, Aberdeen, March 2011.
- Café Scientifique in the Shire, Banchory, March 2011.
- Satellites in Space, Aberdeen, March 2011.
- TechFest Lunchbytes sessions by Robert Craig, Leanne Townsend and Nimbe Ewald, March 2011.
- British Science Festival 2012 (information on our activities)
- Dundee Science Festional Cafe Scientifique, Dundee, November 2012
Schools Events
- Lecture delivered to secondary school pupils in rural locations across the Highlands. Reached an audience of ~733 pupils in five schools in five days: Kinlochbervie, Ullapool, Gairloch, Plockton, Portree, August 2010.
- Highlands Schools Tour Challenge Competition, September 2010.
- Highlands Schools Tour, September 2011.
- Five talks in the British Science Festival Secondary Programme (details, brochure)
- National Science and Engineering Week 2013, 4 workshops in 3 schools in Aberdeen City and Shire to 112 pupils and 10 teachers, March 2013
- Countryside, Digital, Life workshop with 2 classes at Kingswells School to 55 pupils and 2 teachers, May 2013
Exhibitions
- Innovate Scotland, Aviemore, October 2009.
- SICSA DEMOfest, Edinburgh, November 2009.
- Black Isle Show, August 2010.
- Innovate, London, October 2011.
- SICSA DEMOfest, Edinburgh, November 2011.
- Digital Futures 2012, Aberdeen, October 2012.
- SICSA DEMOfest, Edinburgh, November 2012.
- Innovate, London, March 2013.
- Digital Scotland, Edinburgh, May 2013.
- Scotland's Technology Show, Glasgow, June 2013.
Cafe Connect July 2011
Café Connect was an initiative delivering free public science talks in remote or rural communities across Scotland. It took the well-established Café Scientifique format – where scientists deliver free, informal talks to public audiences in non-scientific venues – to a wider audience. The aim was to nurture community science events, in informal, varied and interactive settings, through the empowerment of local champions and community organisations.
10 communities. 10 Café Sci style public talks. 10 researchers. 10 days. [programme]
