Close up: Summer Science

The Botanic Gardens organised the Summer Science festival in partnership with the Centre for Science and Culture and the Faculty of Science on a rainy summer evening in June 2022. Set against a backdrop of lush greenery, the inspiring evening programme included live music and talks by researchers on topics such as ocean currents, immunotherapy and the impact of job loss. The researchers had all participated in previous editions of the Breaking Science pitch competition, and the evening offered a great opportunity to put their skills into practice.

I got to talk about my research in the greenhouses at the Botanic Gardens, which was really unique. It was raining outside, a band was playing in the background and I was standing between the tropical plants discussing the impact of job loss with a group of eager visitors. I regularly give presentations to different audiences, like reintegration consultants or managers at large companies. The thing is, there usually isn't much interaction. That was very different at Summer Science; we had plenty of time to answer questions and share experiences. That kind of dialogue makes it a lot more fun; I think science should be about sharing knowledge. The opportunity to interact with different audiences is also a source of inspiration: for my follow-up research, for example.

Text: Eline Dondorp