Researchers Meet Citizens in the Heart of Coimbra

July 10, 2025 billsullivan Community Engagement Education Public Science Communication

By: Inês Caramelo, Rita Martins Santos, and Ana Santos-Carvalho

Science Communication at European Researchers Night

As our planet Earth spins, the world around us evolves rapidly, bringing new challenges that demand innovative solutions. Scientists hold a dual responsibility to tackle these issues and communicate their efforts and discoveries to society. With the motto of this year’s initiative “Science for Global Challenges,” the European Researchers Night 2024 took place at Coimbra’s historical Downtown on the afternoon and night of 27th September 2024 (Figure 1). This event was organized by the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research of the University of Coimbra (iiiUC) and gathered scientists from diverse fields who explained to the community how science can address environmental and social concerns, bridging the gaps between these issues.

Figure 1 – Overview of Coimbra’s historical downtown during the European Researchers’ Night in Coimbra by day and by night.

The European Researchers’ Night is the largest outreach initiative in Europe, held annually on the last Friday of September across 25 countries. Its goal is to bring science closer to the public, highlight its impact on everyday life, and inspire young people to pursue scientific careers (1). For the 2024/2025 biennium, 58 projects were funded by Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, including Science for Global Challenges (SCIGLO). The SCIGLO consortium organized the event in four Portuguese cities: Braga, Coimbra, Évora, and Lisbon. under the leadership of the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon. The coordinator together with other Lisbon institutions, such as the NOVA School of Science and Technology, the ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies and the Lisbon City Council, and another partners spread throughout Portugal, such as the University of Évora in the south, the iiiUC in the center, and School of Sciences of the University of Minho and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in the north, offered people the opportunity to meet researchers and a behind-the-scenes perspective of the world of science.

After 5 pm on the 27^th of September of 2024, 581 researchers left their laboratories, gathered their tools and equipment, and set up their workspace in the streets of Coimbra Downtown (Table 1). The iiiUC co-organized this event with the Agência para Promoção da Baixa de Coimbra (APBC), the downtown promotion agency, with the support of Coimbra Municipality and Parishes of Coimbra. These collaborators played a vital role in facilitating communication with local stores and ensuring the event’s logistics, respectively. Thanks to this strong cooperation, Science Route (Figure 2) emerged, featuring seventy-five interactive science spots in front of local business stores, along downtown streets and squares. Local business owners enjoyed the experience, since “this event brings a lot of people to Baixa, especially at night, and promotes interaction between stores,” and “supports the local business.”

“This event brings a lot of people to Baixa, especially at night, and promotes interaction between stores,” and “supports the local business.”

Figure 2 – Researchers interacting with the audience in front of local businesses

This open-street format captured the attention of passersby, igniting spontaneous conversations and creating awareness of the role of science in presenting alternate solutions to humanity’s challenges. By the end of the day, 3250 visitors had a glimpse of the fascinating world of science around Coimbra’s streets (Table 1).

Table 1. European Researcher Night in Coimbra 2024 in numbers

During this path, scientists eagerly engaged with the curious audience, sharing knowledge and explaining the wonders of science. In the researchers’ opinion, the location of the activity was a plus: “Carrying out activities outdoors and in collaboration with local stores makes the initiative more engaging, unique, and appealing!”

“Carrying out activities outdoors and in collaboration with local stores makes the initiative more engaging, unique, and appealing!”

The itinerary was available on a WebApp, where visitors signed in at each interactive science spot and got easily informed about activities, schedules, and partners. Additionally, recycling bins were distributed along this route, encouraging researchers and the public to practice eco-friendly choices. Both measures justify the eco-event label and make the event more sustainable. The activities were carefully prepared to make science accessible, relatable, and appealing. The community was invited to participate in the activities that captured their curiosity, and researchers explained how their work addresses global challenges in diverse fields, including environment, health, biology, engineering, technologies, and social sciences.

There was no age limit: everyone was welcome to do hands-on experiments and play as scientists for one night. Children had the opportunity to participate in the “draw a scientist” activity, while adults could contribute to the Graffiti Wall, launching challenges for scientists to solve until 2050 (Figure 3). During this night, the streets were the stage for scientific experiments, fostering a dialogue free of jargon and promoting a deeper understanding of science’s role in shaping the future.

Figure 3 – Children launching challenges for scientists to solve until 2050 in the Graffiti Wall.

The event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of 60 PhD students from the University of Coimbra stepping up as volunteers (Figure 4). Apart from supporting the event’s organization, eighteen of these volunteers embrace an additional challenge: stepping on stage with a microphone and sharing enthusiastically their research project out loud during the “speed dating” activity. They inspired the listeners and answered the audience’s questions. Furthermore, they had the opportunity not only to engage with researchers from various fields, but also to meet and share experiences, which was an enriching experience, as described by them: “A positive aspect was meeting researchers and getting to know them, meeting other volunteers/students and exchanging experiences.”

“A positive aspect was meeting researchers and getting to know them, meeting other volunteers/students and exchanging experiences.”

Figure 4 – Volunteers were mainly UC PhD Students. Involving them in this activity is an opportunity to plant seeds for future science communication activities in their research groups.

In addition, volunteers mentioned that “researchers were not only eager to present their work but also highly approachable, creating an inviting atmosphere at their stands,” with a contagious enthusiasm that “played a crucial role in enhancing the overall energy of the event, leaving a positive impression on everyone.” These opinions reflect the local atmosphere, breaking barriers between scientists and the local community, cultivating mutual understanding and trust. Moreover, the positive opinion of the visitors was confirmed by the results provided by the bean poll (Figure 5).

Figure 5 – Bean poll results reflecting visitors’ opinions (at the end of the event).

Apart from crowding the streets of the old town of Coimbra city with science, satellite events occurred simultaneously in other cities. At Figueira da Foz, a Scientific Roadmap filled the Santos Rocha Municipal Museum with activities in diverse areas, such as museology, conservation, restoration, research in the humanities and social sciences, archaeology, and anthropology, among others. Additionally, in Armamar, 50 researchers in collaboration with more than 20 national and international institutes brought science to the most remote regions, engaging communities that are usually less involved in these types of initiatives. These initiatives show the commitment of iiiUC and the SCIGLO project to bringing science closer to those with less access to it.

In summary, the European Researchers’ Night in Coimbra did more than bring science to the streets — it brought them closer to the community by encouraging conversations about the green economy, preservation of the natural resources and decarbonization, and equality and social inclusion. By the end of the evening, participants went home with a renewed confidence in science’s commitment to addressing global challenges. Ultimately, science succeeds with community support, just as communities rely on science to embrace the future.

The next ERN in Coimbra Downtown will be on September 26^th. It would be great to have you here!

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the Local and Central Organizing Committees (iiiUC team, APBC, SCIGLO team, municipality and parish collaborators involved), Researchers, Science managers and Science Communicators, Shoppers, Volunteers & Partners. SCIGLO (Grant agreement ID: 101162576) is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

References

1. European Researchers’ Night celebrating science across Europe in 2024 and 2025 [cited 2025 10-01-025]. Available from: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/msca-citizens/join-a-celebration-of-science.

Inês Caramelo is a team member of the ReData Consortium, where she is involved in communication, training, and the implementation of open science policies. She recently completed her PhD in Biomedicine and has participated in several science communication initiatives. Previously, Inês contributed to the implementation of the Researchers@Schools initiative, under the scope of the SIGLO project.

Rita Martins Santos is a European project manager at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Coimbra (IIIUC). She works with networks of international partners and defines strategies for projects on issues that are cross-cutting for the scientific community, such as EDI topics, science and research management. She participates in SciCom initiatives such as SCIGLO Project and SoapBox Science Coimbra.

Ana Santos-Carvalho is a Researcher, Head of Communication & Marketing of GeneT, CIBB, University of Coimbra. She is also President of SciComPt Network, and Coordinator of the European Researchers’ Night at Coimbra through the SCIGLO project, among other SciComPt initiatives such as SoapBox Science Coimbra, PubhD Coimbra, etc.