European Researchers’ Night 2020

What

European Researchers’ Night, known as Explorathon in Scotland, is a celebration of research that takes place in over 300 cities in Europe each year. Explorathon events are dedicated to bringing researchers closer to the public, and aim to showcase the diversity of research happening in Scotland.

While there is special emphasis on sharing research funded by the European Commission, this event is open to ALL researchers, and all subject areas and career stages are welcome.

Explorathon is funded by the European Commission. It is a partnership between the Universities of Aberdeen, St Andrews, Glasgow, Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt, who organise events throughout Scotland. In Edinburgh, events are coordinated by the Beltane Public Engagement Network.

When

Events will take place in the last week of November 2020

Where

This year there will be a mix of on-line and hyper-local events and activities. From virtual workshops and tours to Q&As, films, and localised in-person engagement – this is a chance to get creative! By taking events online, this is also an opportunity to involve partners and collaborators from across Europe and the world. We’d love to hear your ideas.

Like in previous years, we will be working with a range of partners and venues:

the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Ocean Terminal
WHALE Arts Centre
Schools across Edinburgh
Seabird Centre
plus community centres and pubs or cafes

More information about the events will be posted on the Explorathon website as it becomes available.

Who’s it for

It’s for researchers (including students) and university support staff to deliver, and for members of the public to come along to. Our hope is that everyone who is involved gets something out of it.

Daytime events tend to attract a younger audience (very roughly, up to age 12) and their caregivers. Evening events are aimed at age 18+ (with the age range varying by individual event). We are trying to broaden the socio-economic demographic of the people we reach with our choice of 2020 venues, event formats, and online platforms.