As part of the celebration of the European City of Science 2022, which is Leiden, Netherlands, from 13 to 16 July 2022 a science conference Euro Science Open Forum (ESOF) 2022 will be held in the city. At the same time in Katowice – a city preparing to accept the title of European City of Science 2024 – on 15 July 2022 a conference accompanying ESOF 2022 Regional Site is planned. The meeting will be held at the International Congress Centre. During the required registration for the event, those interested in attending will be able to select thematic panels. Detailed information will be made available soon. If you have any questions, you can contact us at: esof@us.edu.pl.
The themes of the conference in Katowice will be:
- crossing boundaries,
- involved science,
- resilient societies.
Among the issues that will be addressed are:
- how will science be conducted in the future and how can science improve its functionality as a transformational agent that leads to change in society?,
- how can science be fully open and go beyond the boundaries of countries, scientific disciplines and societies?,
- what are the future behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes and norms of the research community?,
- how can institutional structures be changed to support and foster diversity, balance and inclusion?,
- what will be the influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the research community and scientific practice?,
- science in the face of war and its consequences.
Session topics will cover areas such as:
- sustainable environment,
- cultural identities and societal transformation,
- space for science,
- healthy societies,
- freedom and the societal responsibility of science,
- action-based entrepreneurship education,
- off the beaten track: new paths for academic careers.
The programme of the conference in the International Congress Centre in Katowice includes thirteen 75-minute on-site sessions, four of which will be streamed online to Leiden. The sessions will be attended by the universities forming the Katowice consortium of the European City of Science 2024, as well as invited representatives of Polish and foreign science centres, experts representing business, cultural institutions and the media. Katowice is the first city in Central and Eastern Europe with the title of European City of Science. The leader of the project is the University of Silesia in Katowice, which heads a consortium of universities in the region. Organisational support was declared by the authorities of the Silesian Voivodeship and Metropolis GZM. The institution granting the title and organizing the ESOF conference is EuroScience (European Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology). EuroScience is the largest European association of researchers and scientists.
EuroScience Open Forum is a European hybrid event engaging in dialogue on science, technology, politics and society. It is a platform for exchanging experiences and presenting the latest scientific achievements, innovations and technological developments. The ESOF brand attracts scientists, politicians, business people and media representatives from all over the world to the host cities. The title of European City of Science makes it possible to increase the involvement of the region’s inhabitants and scientific community in solving local problems. It also strengthens the possibilities of obtaining funds for the implementation of investment plans in regional science, increases the tourist attractiveness of the city and the impact of local universities on all spheres of life, growing their recognition in the international arena.
