September 2019

#55

Motivation

FEATURES
IN DEPTH

Lack of motivation? by Pilvi Kolk

LOOKOUT

Decolonising the Museum
PORTFOLIO

Newly opened by Emily Cronin
COLUMN

You are the Conference's backbone by Mikko Myllykoski

From the Ecsite office
Ecsite Conference
EU news
From Ecsite European collaborations
Good reads and resources
Opportunities

Spokes is edited by Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums.
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Lack of motivation?

In depth

The science engagement field needs more professional personnel management

Lack of motivation?

Pilvi Kolk

Decolonising the Museum

Lookout

Extending the discussion to scientific collections

Decolonising the Museum

Ina Heumann

Holger Stoecker

Guido Gryseels

Dr. Patricia Rahemipour

Flower Manase

Anna Schäfers

Newly opened

Portfolio

A selection of science engagement exhibitions around Europe

You are the Conference’s backbone

Column

The call for session proposals for #Ecsite2020 is open

You are the Conference’s backbone

Mikko Myllykoski

From the Ecsite office

Directors Forum: register now

Don't miss Ecsite's yearly gathering for Senior managers, 13-15 November, Trondheim, Norway.

The Trondheim science centre will be co-hosting the 2019 Ecsite Directors Forum

Still wanted: unusual talents on your workforce

For a portfolio in the next issue of Spokes. 5 days left: get in touch by 20 September.

Photo by Fede Casanova on Unsplash

New: Ecsite Collaborative Grants

This scheme advances the science engagement field by funding cross-country collaborative actions that fill a gap & leave a long-lasting legacy. Apply by 12 November.

2019 Ecsite Conference

Public toilets with something to say

Do you have interpretation in your venue's toilets? Have you given this space a lot of thought? A case study call for a portfolio in the November issue of Spokes. Send yours by 20 October.

What do your toilets say about you? Photo by Paul Green on Unsplash

Ecsite Conference

Call for session proposals open

Team up and submit a great proposal by 17 October. All about the call

Session at #Ecsite2019 © Ecsite Experimentarium_Photographer David Trood

Have a session idea?

Use the Conference forum to exchange views and look for speakers and convenors.

Session at #Ecsite2018, in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit @Ecsite/NHMGeneva

BEST DISCOUNT FOR #ECSITE2020

Ecsite members get the best conference discounts. Apply for membership by 25 October and you will too. Here's all you need to know about membership

The Space Group reports back from #Ecsite2019

Catch up with the Ecsite Space Group’s activities at the 2019 Ecsite Conference.

Ecsite Space Group pre-conference workshop, 5 June 2019, Copenhagen, Denmark

Questions?

Check out our compilation of everything you need to know in detail about submitting a session proposal. Mandatory read even for those who have submitted sessions before!

EU news

New Commission structure announced

EU President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her team on 10 September, which will have to be approved by EU Parliament.

VdL Commission. Credits: European Commission

Mariya Gabriel nominated for Innovation and Youth commissioner

Bulgaria’s Mariya Gabriel is expected to take on an expanded portfolio, merging education with research and innovation. Read the piece in Science|Business.

The future of EU research must be inclusive

Read the Interview of European Commission's Director General for Research and Innovation, Jean-Eric Paquet in Horizon Magazine.

From Ecsite European collaborations

Citizen science in Lithuania: two interviews

The Ecsite team interviewed two EU-Citizen.Science Consortium partners.

Collecting and extracting DNA of lichen at a bioscience summer camp in Lithuania. Credit: E.M.Ramanauskaite

Your input on citizen science training needs

Can you spare 5 minutes to answer the survey?

Butterfly on a leaf ©Ana Martinuzzi on Unsplash

Seven new Food Labs

They joined the FIT4FOOD2030 project to take up the challenge of citizen engagement and competence building for food systems ready for the future.

SySTEM 2020 award winner's experience at #Ecsite2019

Danilo Kozoderc won a trip to the 2019 Ecsite Conference by putting his STEAM initiative on the SySTEM 2020 map. Read his interview

Good reads and resources

New ICOM Museum definition: postponed

The International Council of Museums has been working on a new definition of what a museum is - however the proposition originally supposed to be voted on in Kyoto a few days ago caused a real debate in the museum community and ICOM decided to give itself more time.

Book review

"The book is not only an eye-opener on how biased our society is. It is also a wonderful example of how to make data easily readable and understandable." Andrea Bandelli, Executive Director of Science Gallery International.

Invisible Women Book cover

Communicating science to policymakers

Six strategies for scientists offered by Hannah Safford and Austin Brown in Nature.

Science shops establishment guide

Produced by SciShop.eu project, this guide gives key principles on how to develop and run your own Science Shop.

Science shops establishment guide

SDG Resource Centre

An interactive platform featuring multimedia content and research by scientific, legal and business experts on the Sustainable Development Goals.

RELx Resource Centre

How can smartphones enrich the visitor experience?

Discover the proceedings of the COMPASS Conference hosted by the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Opportunities

Selection of international conferences and courses

Upcoming international conferences, calls for papers and courses in science engagement.

"Museums and the SDGs” webinar

Free webinar by NEMO on 7 October, 14:00 CEST. Deadline for registration: 3 October.

Earth Challenge 2020

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, get involved in this international citizen science initiative.

Job: PhD Studentships - Astrobiology & engagement

At the Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. Apply by 30 September.

Job: Science Centre Manager

At Otago Museum’s new science centre, Tūhura, Dunedin (New Zealand). Apply by 20 September.

Job: Head of Media Relations

At CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Apply by 2 October.

CERN logo

Soft Power Destination awards

Last day to nominate the cultural destination with soft power best practices: 15 September!

Climate Communications Awards

An opportunity to highlight work in the fields of climate communications research, public engagement and photography. Apply by 4 October.

Registration open for Symposium on intercultural science education

17-18 October, Vienna, Austria. Improving our work with and for marginalised groups of adult migrants and refugees. Organised by Austrian ScienceCenter-Network.

Ecsite thanks the writers who have generously contributed to this issue of Spokes. Have an idea for Spokes? Check out the contributors' guide and get in touch.

Spokes is the monthly digital magazine of Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums. It is put together by the Spokes Editorial Committee:

Maria Xanthoudaki, Head of Education and International Relations, Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, Milan, Italy – Chairperson
Julie Becker, Communications and Events Manager, Ecsite, Brussels, Belgium – Editor
Andrea Bandelli, Executive Director, Science Gallery International, Dublin, Ireland
Marie Couëdic, Special Projects Assistant, Ecsite, Brussels, Belgium
Emily Cronin, Partnerships Manager, Touring Exhibitions, Science Museum Group, London, UK
Raquel da Cunha, Events and Communications Officer, Ecsite, Brussels, Belgium
Wiktor Gajewski, Events Director, Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw, Poland
Pilvi Kolk, Member of the management board, AHHAA Science Centre, Tartu, Estonia

Responsible editor: Catherine Franche, Executive Director for Association européenne des expositions scientifiques, techniques et industrielles, aisbl

Frequency: monthly since April 2015 - issue 55, September 2019