University of Silesia in Katowice

The programme of events for the European City of Science Katowice 2024 celebration will be built around 5 thematic streams:

• 50 Weeks of Science for the Society – main all-year-round programme
• programme of strategic urban, regional, and academic events
• Youth in the City of Science Programme
• Teachers for Teachers Educational Programme
• European City of Science Katowice 2024 special events programme – key events

50 WEEKS OF SCIENCE FOR THE SOCIETY – main all-year-round programme

Each of the 50 weeks will be dedicated to an important Polish and global science issue whose solution has a direct influence on our lives.

The idea of European City of Science Katowice 2024 programme was organised around the concept of 50 thematic weeks full of scientific and popular science events, as well as cultural, sports, preventive, and artistic events created by the academic and urban circles. The programme will be built based on the following guidelines: scientific grounds, European reach, domestic, international and institutional cooperation, social responsibility, diverse and popular science content, lasting effect.

The weekly themes will reflect the most significant research areas undertaken in Katowice and the whole region, which have the European dimension and will be focused around 6 ECSK thematic paths:

• Health and Quality of Life
• Climate and Environment
• Industries of the Future
• Social Innovations
• Industrial and Cultural Heritage
• Creation and Criticism

Conceptual and programme works are currently underway to choose 50 main themes in the City of Science. The academic circles of the Academic Consortium Katowice City of Science are invited to submit proposed concepts for specific weeks through the application form. Other units and institutions are encouraged to read about the rules of cooperation and submitting proposals in line with the guidelines presented under Rules of Cooperation.

Each week’s programme will be diversified in terms of:

• target groups (e.g. children, teachers, seniors, families, scientists, students, socio-economic environment),
• initiative types (e.g. culture, popular science, music, sports, industry, popular),
• range (local, regional, nationwide, international),
• language (Polish, English, Ukrainian);
• media type (radio, Internet, podcasts, press series),
• event type (meet-the-author sessions, large events, conferences, TED-type lectures, concerts, workshops, debates, social campaigns, international connections).

PROGRAMME OF STRATEGIC URBAN, REGIONAL, AND ACADEMIC EVENTS

Almost 250 scientific and educational events organised by the City of Katowice, Metropolis GZM, Silesian Voivodeship, and universities associated in the Academic Consortium Katowice City of Science. Outstanding scientific and popular science conferences, musical, cultural and entertainment events organised by the academic circles as well as strategic events carried out in the region (congresses, festivals, and social initiatives) will be qualified for the programme.

YOUTH IN THE CITY OF SCIENCE PROGRAMME

The year-round programme of events created and supervised by the youth in the City of Science. Important youth institutions in the region, including the Youth Parliament of the Silesian Voivodeship, Youth City Council and the agreement of student governments and doctoral student governments, have been invited to co-create the programme. The idea behind the youth programme is that they manage the tasks and create the programme according to their knowledge about the needs of young inhabitants and city residents. Their duty will be to build events inspired by the ECSK programme assumptions, with the purpose of establishing the city where they would want to stay and develop in the future. The youth will carry out their programme in cooperation with the consortium scientists – a platform for direct cooperation will be created specifically for them. The youth programme will include elements such as debates and popular science events (school contests, high school shows, student research groups), student and doctoral student conferences, series of workshops, ‘Juwenalia’ student festival, freshman parties, balls and entertainment events, as well as social campaigns. The involvement of youth (especially secondary school students) in creating the European City of Science programme and consulting solutions for the future of life in the region. Youth self-help campaigns, such as students for high-school students, doctoral students for students etc.

TEACHERS FOR TEACHERS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

Programme addressed to students and teachers. Teachers-for-teachers initiatives, intended to integrate the academic and teaching circles, as well as students-for-students initiatives, intended to provide joint education (support classes, popular science classes, inclusive education), popular science events for students and teachers.

ECSK 2024 SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMME

• 9-11 December 2023 – opening weekend of the European City of Science Katowice 2024 in the Spodek Arena and International Congress Centre during the 7th Silesian Science Festival Katowice, with the science and art show opening the City of Science.
• January 2024 – exhibitions, vernissage, and popular science show in the European Parliament.
• January-December 2024 – 50 Weeks of Science for the Society – the year-round programme of events as well as local, regional, nationwide, and European initiatives.
• 12-15 June 2024 – international EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2024) conference at the International Congress Centre in Katowice – one of the largest conferences in Europe dedicated to interdisciplinary and cross-sectional debate on scientific culture, scientific research, and innovations serving the society and partly carried out together with non-academic communities.
• EU Talent Fair – European initiative of job fairs for students, scientists at early stages of their careers, researchers, entrepreneurs, startuppers, and investors. Its goal is to promote talents and professional opportunities in scientific research in the European Union. The event focuses on promoting diversity of the existing research careers outside the academic circles, at the same time enabling companies to get in touch directly with scientists (June 2024).
• European Science in the City Festival – a series of initiatives within the city space, intended to present the results of research and development projects supported by the European Commission to a wide audience, including the Horizon Europe programme, particularly those implemented by the Silesian scientists. The Festival will include science picnics in the city centre and an outdoor art and science show near the Rawa river (symbol of the transformation of the City of Science). ŚFN on Tour, the already proven mobile scienceville of the Silesian Science Festival Katowice, will be used for the organisation of the Festival.
• September 2024 – TalentOn – competition organised by the European Commission, intended for young, talented scientists aged 21-35. During the event, teams composed of scientists from different European countries and countries associated in Horizon Europe will develop solutions to global issues, thematically connected with 5 European Union missions. The contest involves over 100 participants. It will be promoted in international media. More about the first edition of the contest: www.talenton.eu
• September 2024 – European EUCYS (European Union Contest for Young Scientists) finals. Competition for young scientists organised by the European Commission. Each year its winners become students with the best scientific achievements in Europe and affiliated countries. The event is addressed to students aged 14-21 who have not yet completed the first semester of the first year of studies. Its goal is to promote cooperation and exchange of knowledge between young scientists. The finalists will receive attractive cash prizes, internships in leading European research centres and a possibility to participate in the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. The event is promoted in international media. It involves over 100 participants from at least 42 countries.

Take part in creating the ECSK 2024 programme!

• Please submit your proposed subjects and issues that will help us select 50 key themes of the European City of Science Katowice 2024. The academic circles of the Academic Consortium Katowice City of Science are invited to submit proposed concepts for specific weeks through the application form. Other units and institutions are encouraged to read about the rules of cooperation and submitting proposals in line with the guidelines presented under Rules of Cooperation.
• Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions concerning cooperation and building the programme of ECSK 2024: emn@us.edu.pl.
• You can get information about the guidelines on using the ECS 2024 brand for academic initiatives and cooperation in key events in the City of Science at the same e-mail address. The information on Rules of Cooperation can also be found HERE.