Children's University at DTU 2014 has just won first prize in the European research communication competition Reach.Out! The competition is held by the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) which rewards the best initiative within communication of materials research.
Each year since 2013, the organization European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) has awarded the best European communication initiative within materials research with the aim of promoting the dissemination of the knowledge of advanced materials and their importance for our modern society.
On 13 May, Children's University at DTU was selected as the winners of the 2014 competition. In selecting the winner, one of the focus points was the originality, creativity, and innovation of the initiative, its range as well as its scientific nature and relevance.
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“The award is a big pat on the back for Children's University. We receive a lot of positive feedback from the children and their parents, however, that the event is now also receiving praise outside Denmark is very important," says Project Manager Anne Hansen, who went to Lille in France last week to receive the award.
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Popular among both children and researchers
Children's University is an activity which in just two years has become a huge success—both among the participating children and their parents, and equally so among DTU's staff and students.
“Children's University has been one of my best experiences at DTU! I think it was so great to see all the enthusiastic and inquisitive children and to help give them a good impression of DTU and all the amazing things we do”, says an enthusiastic Nour Al-Tamimi , 4th semester student of Medicine and Technology at DTU.
In all, 38 researchers from PhD level to professors, 40 engineering students, as well as a handful of administrative staff from a total of 11 different departments and nine study programmes at DTU participated in the event.
See photos from Children’s University 2014.
Activity-packed day
In short, Children's University is held for 520 children aged 9-12 years, who are invited to DTU for a day of exciting lectures, tests, and experiments. The 2014 theme was materials. The theme had been selected because it is an area in which the majority of DTU's departments are engaged, but also to direct focus on the construction of the world’s largest microscope facilities, ESS and MAX IV in Lund, Sweden—both dedicated to materials research—and, finally, because it is an area in which there is plenty of fun and exciting examples from the children’s daily lives.