Dissemination

The BERC centres in Bizkaia (ACHUCARRO, BC3, BCAM and BCMaterials) are joining forces to help bring science closer to young people. Through this festival, we aim to give pupils in the final years of primary school a real first taste of scientific work, via simple experiments that introduce them to the world of research.          

This science fair is held annually at the Ensanche Building in Bilbao, thanks to the collaboration of Bilbao Ekintza and Bilbao City Council.    
Be Zientzia features interactive workshops and scientific demonstrations designed to enable students to learn about the work of the four centres and explore the challenges of neuroscience, climate change, materials and mathematics in a playful and entertaining way.

A special event dedicated to mathematics at the Bizkaia Aretoa (UPV/EHU) in Bilbao: BCAM NAUKAS, to mark Pi Day. This event is organised by the Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics and the Chair of Scientific Culture at the University of the Basque Country, and features some of the most fascinating figures in the field of mathematics outreach in our country. The BCAM-NAUKAS programme features morning and afternoon sessions.      
In the morning, maths workshops are held to introduce primary and secondary school pupils to mathematics in a fun and engaging way.

In the afternoon, the celebration of Mathematics Day continues with science talks suitable for all ages at the Bizkaia Aretoa.

Bilbomath 2M (Mathematics and Music) is a joint initiative by Bilbao City Council and BCAM that aims to bring these two disciplines together to foster culture and talent. It is notable for organising the “Villa de Bilbao” Music Competition (piano and violin) for young performers, promoting creativity. 

Key aspects of the project:

• Objective: To promote mathematical and musical culture, serving as a platform for young talent, with the main aim of stimulating the musical development of young pianists and violinists
• 'Villa de Bilbao’ Competition: Includes piano and violin categories, with registration open to musicians born between 1993 and 2017.
• Activities: Usually held at the ‘Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga’ Conservatoire, with closing ceremonies at the Sociedad Bilbaina.
• Context: It forms part of the Bilbomath agreement for internationalisation and innovation, led by Luca Fanelli. 

Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka is a fair showcasing projects developed by young people, enabling them to experience research and development from the inside. The aim of Elhuyar Zientzia Azoka is to offer young people STEAM experiences with the involvement of the whole community. It is a network of project fairs aimed at young people aged between 12 and 18. It is aimed at young people from the Basque Country, although groups are invited from other science fairs abroad. 
 

The Emakumeak Zientzian initiative was launched in 2017 and has grown and gained momentum year on year. In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with the aim of achieving full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. It was launched in this context with specific objectives:

• To raise the profile of women in science, break down the typically male roles attributed to scientific and technical activities, and encourage girls and young women to choose scientific careers.

To this end, a wide-ranging programme of activities is promoted, organised, developed, presented and carried out around 11 February. Each year, various organisations representing the Basque Country’s science and technology network participate as organisers of the initiative by signing a specific collaboration agreement. The organisations signing the agreement share the initiative’s objectives and undertake to organise activities aimed at society as a whole and to make a financial contribution to enable the project to be carried out.
 

European Researchers’ Night is a European initiative promoted by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon Europe programme. Its main aim is to bring science and research closer to society by showcasing the work of researchers, demonstrating how their work benefits society and its impact on everyday life, as well as fostering an interest in scientific careers, particularly among children, young people and their families. 

In Bilbao, European Researchers’ Night is celebrated as a huge science festival open to the public, with free, participatory activities organised by academic institutions such as the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) alongside other research centres and Bilbao City Council.  Throughout the day, there will be stands, workshops, experiments, demonstrations, stargazing sessions, talks and other educational activities, where researchers share their work with the public in an informative and entertaining way. The event is designed for all ages and aims to foster scientific curiosity, break down gender barriers and convey a passion for research through hands-on experiences with science.

The Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Science and Technology (ZTF-FCT) of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), in collaboration with the Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and Euskal Estatistika Erakundea/Basque Institute of Statistics (EUSTAT), is organising the “Survey and Experiment Incubator” competition for students in lower secondary education (ESO), upper secondary education (Bachillerato) and intermediate vocational training (Ciclos formativos de Grado Medio) at educational institutions in the Basque Country.

Objectives:

• To promote the teaching and learning of Statistics, Probability and Operational Research at non-university educational levels.
• To broaden knowledge and skills, as well as to highlight the importance and usefulness of Statistics in real life and across all academic disciplines.
• To spark students’ interest in Statistics as a fundamental tool in virtually all sciences.
• To familiarise students with the different stages involved in carrying out a statistical project.
• To learn how to interpret the various statistical data that surround us and to foster critical thinking.
   

This is an activity organised by Bizilabe Bilbao, a programme run by both institutions with the aim of encouraging an interest in STEM (an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among young people in the city. Bizilabe Bilbao is a research centre where young people aged between 10 and 17 develop science and technology projects and activities outside school hours throughout the academic year, supported by professional research staff. This initiative, launched by Bilbao City Council and Elhuyar in 2017 and supported by the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, has three centres in Deusto, Zorrotza and Otxarkoaga, with a new one soon to open in Basurto.

Pint of Science is a science communication festival that aims to share current scientific developments with the public in an interesting, engaging and accessible way, by bringing researchers and scientists to pubs and other accessible venues. The result can be seen every May in pubs around the world. Scientific research covers a wide range of topics, and there are even more new discoveries being shared today. To ensure the information is conveyed effectively and so that the public can choose the topics that interest them most, Pint of Science organises the various talks into six distinct thematic areas; thus, amongst the full range of talks and venues, you will find the most innovative presentations under the following themes:

• The Wonderful Mind: Neuroscience, psychology, psychiatry...
• From Atoms to Galaxies: Chemistry, physics, astronomy...
• Our Body: Human biology, health, medicine...
• Planet Earth: Earth sciences, evolution, zoology...
• Tech me out!: Technology, engineering, mathematics...
• Our Society: Law, history, politics, art...
• The Pint of Science Festival is an international event that invites leading researchers to share their knowledge in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Over the three days of this aptly named festival, the organisers aim to create a format that is accessible to everyone. The venue chosen for this event is BARS ALL OVER THE WORLD! This provides a platform that allows people to learn about and discuss research directly with the people carrying it out. This festival is held every year simultaneously in coordination with all participating countries and cities, and for three consecutive days, bars all over the world are filled with science.

This STEAM education catalogue forms part of the STEAM Euskadi strategy promoted by the Basque Government’s Departments of Education and of Science, Universities and Innovation; it complements the STEAM Hezkuntza programme and is aimed at Basque educational institutions. The aim of this initiative is to support the work of teachers in educational institutions and to facilitate new connections that help to create real-world learning contexts in the classroom. It has been developed within the framework of STEAM Sare, a public-private network comprising Basque organisations (schools, businesses, universities, vocational training centres, research centres, etc.) that collaborate to:

• Increase Basque young people’s interest in mathematics, science and technology.
• Improve their learning.
• Showcase the diversity and appeal of career opportunities in the technical professions of the future.

Short-term activities aligned with the school curriculum, designed to meet the needs of schools and delivered through collaborations with science and technology professionals. These include career guidance activities. Pupils will have the opportunity to discover the real-world applications of mathematics through one of the disciplines of Artificial Intelligence. Led by a mathematics expert, a line of research on this field will be developed in the classroom at BCAM; pupils will gain a practical understanding of the applicability of the mathematical concepts they learn in class and how these are applied in the real world with a positive impact on social well-being.