Researchers’ Night in Venice 2017: open call for proposals

Venetonight is open to the Ca’ Foscari’s academic community involved in research. The array of activities that can be submitted is extremely broad: from workshops for kids to labs, from guided tours to role playing, sharing interactivity as their common denominator. The visitors of the European Researchers’ Night that will take place all over Europe on September 29th 2017 will have to feel involved and to be able to participate to research. It is a great opportunity to give visibility to the work that is pursued each day in the classes and laboratories of Ca’ Foscari, telling kids, students and their families, the city and a broader audience about research in a simple and engaging way.

The ones who participated to this event through the years often come back with enthusiasm. Here are a few of their stories:

Valentina Beghetto, Researcher in the Department of  Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems: “The first time I participated I wondered what I could offer to such a diverse audience. Venetonight is the occasion to create completely new techniques to convince and tell about research. It is a line of thought and a great challenge from a communication standpoint that brought about many ties with companies which were very useful for my own research”.

Giovanni Vaia, Researcher in the Department of Management: “Translating research in concepts accessible to everyone and to the broad audience of Venetonight allows you to improve as a researcher, particularly in terms of communication. It is a great test to check the impact of your own research. The response I get from the audience? Enthusiasm, amazement, and the desire to further explore the topics”.

Paola Corò, Researcher in the Department of Humanities: “I always want to hold workshops for kids because I think that they are the future of our research. By now they wait for this appointment and return each year. Apparently one wanted to become Sumerian when growing up… It means that each experience, even a short one, does leave a trace. I involve my students in the experience, as a replacement for an internship. At Venetonight 2016 we were able to introduce cuneiform writing with 3D technology thanks to a collaboration with Ca’ Foscari’s DEL_FabLab”.

Chiara Branchini, Researcher in the Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies: “Venetonight allows researchers to exit the ‘secure’ university environment and adopt a new standpoint, the one of the general public. The experience is generally a find for us too. I have always felt the need to reach people of all ages who do not belong to the university context. I realized how little the deaf community is known and how important it is to tackle an argument in a way that can be understood by all, for instance by using the Italian Sign Language (LIS). This realization brought me to change my approach to teaching, especially with my first year students”.

We remind you that professors and researchers at Ca’ Foscari can send their proposals for Venetonight by filling-up an online module by Monday 26th June with a description of the activity and technical data required for its logistic organization.

For further information write to  venetonight@unive.it.