Etienne Haouy, science culture project manager at Université de Lorraine, in charge of Science&You’s PhD workshops, answers 3 questions regarding this « Outreach marathon » addressed to Phd Students (14-16 Nov. 2021).
Last edition of Science&You PhD workshops, in 2015, was a success. Will the concept evolve in 2021?
The main idea remains the same, that is to say: duos of tutors will train groups of PhD students to popularize referring researchers’s work. Thus, being said, the workshops’ themes evolve for this edition: we replaced the exhibition, writing, radio and video workshops by puppet theatre, object theatre, tales and escape game, which are quite rare, but blooming, disciplines. We would have loved to offer songwriting and embroidery workshops: maybe for a next edition!
What does creation bring to science communication?
Creation offers a vision of the world, invites to reflection, tells stories, sparks off emotions, allows the audience to leave everyday life behind, to be surprised, and gives food for thought. We simply entrust creatives with contemporary research topics for them to bring a fresh perspective upon. It may not be the most didactic, not even exact way to convey a message, but it springs a surprise and helps building ties to engage in the science/society dialogue.
How can this experience be used in PhD students’ academic path?
We are not looking to teach how to master a creative or a SciComm practice, which would be impossible in a 15-hour training workshop. We are simply aiming at instilling a taste for science communication in PhD students, and showing them that when you surround yourself with the right people, it is always possible to create science communication devices in unexpected places. Researchers will always be needed to give conferences; but if some of them dare to create a happening, they might captivate an unexpected part of the audience, that may follow them inside an auditorium to learn more.