ReCoNnect: Research Communication for active learning

Researchers worldwide are struggling nowadays to solve some of the critical issues which pose a threat to our future life on Earth. While everyone heard about the climate change, smart cities, freshwater and ocean pollution, soil degradation which conduct to poor quality of food, or cancer, but most of the time only with respect to disasters or an uncertain future, the researchers are actively involved into identifying practical solutions for all these threats, developing devices and systems to monitor, control and diminish their effect, and to cure people and Earth. These missions will have the chance of becoming effective only by ReCoNnect-ing the researchers to the society, by developing a mutual respect and understanding one needs a will to listen, to be open to the new and to explore. As such, we propose the adoption of a special life strategy, that of continuous and active learning, in which all those involved, scientists, communicators or the general public, are active learners interacting with each other.

The consortium is made up from 5 research institutes, the largest and most prestigious in the country, 4 universities, with high scientific expertise but also including journalism faculties and one public scientific body, that have been participating in previous research outreach events and coordinate some of the largest STEM educational networks (teachers and pupils) derived from the European programmes. By organization of 20 NIGHT events yearly, also in rural areas, and a strong involvement of researchers at school along the 2 years project implementation, we are confident in the strengthening of the science communication and educational programs already developed, increasing, meanwhile, the number of researchers involved in outreach activities. These allow us to look to the future with new hopes of an active and cultured society towards solving the humanity issues through science and awareness.