The 7th Silesian Science Festival begins on Friday 9 December at the Spodek and International Congress Centre in Katowice and will last until 11 December. It is one of the largest popular science events in Poland and Europe. The six previous festivals have been attended by 555 000 people.
Each year, the festival programme consists of hundreds of diverse activities popularising science and art: lectures, workshops, demonstration stands, exhibitions, concerts, meetings with special guests and other initiatives.
The festival space has so far been divided into six zones dedicated to nature, technology, humanities and social sciences, science, medicine and health and the arts, as well as special zones. However, the seventh Festival will take a slightly different form. The programme is built around the six thematic tracks of the European City of Science Katowice 2024: climate and environment, health and quality of life, industries of the future, social innovation, industrial and cultural heritage, creation, and criticism. In addition, themes related to the seventeen UN Sustainable Development Goals will be pursued.
The Silesian Science Festival is a member of the European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA) network, within which it is promoted. It was awarded the “Golden Rose”, i.e. the first prize for the best marketing action among popular science events at the EUPRIO (European Association of Communication Professionals in Higher Education) conference, triumphed in the team category in the prestigious Science Populariser 2020 competition organised by the “Science in Poland” service of the Polish Press Agency and the Ministry of Education and Science, and was the winner of the SuperMark – Silesia award granted by the Regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Gliwice.
The event is organised by Silesian University in Katowice (the leader and initiator of the project), Silesian University of Technology, Silesian Medical University, Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa, Częstochowa University of Technology, University of Economics in Katowice, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, and Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice.
Adrian Andrzejewski