Researchers’ Night sparks enthusiasm for science and research – more than 13,500 visitors in Jyväskylä
Organised jointly by the University of Jyväskylä and Jamk University of Applied Sciences, the event once again coincided with the City of Light festival. Science and light art combined to create a unique atmosphere across the city. Visitor could, for example, admire the illuminating Lightning Sky installation on Ylistö Bridge and contribute their own creations to the interactive artwork projected onto a wall at Jamk’s Rajakatu campus using their mobile phones.
The day began with the University’s popular programmes for schoolchildren, attracting nearly 800 pupils. Participants had the opportunity to build a lunar base, explore the world of nocturnal animals and discuss life’s big questions through philosophy. Altogether, more than 12,000 visitors attended Researchers’ Night activities on the University’s campuses.
This year’s theme, curiosity, came to life across the campuses through lively conversations, thought-provoking questions and genuine moments of discovery throughout the evening. At the University, visitors could create their own news broadcasts in a TV studio, explore language and linguistics, take a look inside the Accelerator Laboratory and even try a few tango steps. Across the event venues, participants engaged in meaningful discussions and enthusiastically joined hands-on activities.
“People’s interest in journalism has been wonderful to see, and the topic clearly sparks a wide range of reactions,” says Associate Professor Karoliina Talvitie-Lamberg from theDepartment of Language and Communication Studies. “We have welcomed a steady stream of visitors, and many have eagerly waited for the chance to try producing their own news broadcast in the TV studio.”
“The atmosphere at our stand has been fantastic, and we’ve had some truly engaging conversations with visitors,” says Language Campus Coordinator Roosa-Maria Vesanen. “We’ve received surprisingly profound questions and have even reflected together on what language actually is. It’s been wonderful to see how much genuine curiosity language and its significance inspire in people. The programme appeared to attract interest from people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Jamk’s Rajakatu campus welcomed 1,500 visitors
On Friday evening, Jamk’s main campus was also buzzing with curiosity, new insights and shared experiences as around 1,500 people attended the programme on offer.
Families explored questions related to cyber security at the stand run by the Finnish Center of Expertise for Cyber Security (FICEC), which attracted plenty of visitors throughout the evening. According to Project Manager Antti Teppo, cyber security is a topic that interests people of all ages.
“It was great to see that even younger visitors already have a solid understanding of the basics of cyber security,” says Teppo. “In our digital wheel-of-fortune game, a cyber villain could initially steal the prize. However, by answering the quiz questions correctly, you were able to banish the cyber thief. The quiz offered suitable challenges for everyone, as participants could choose their own difficulty level.”
Throughout the evening, visitors had the opportunity to explore scientific phenomena through hands-on activities. Microalgae revealed where salmon gets its distinctive pink colour, while a cheerful rhythm reindeer delighted younger visitors experimenting with musical rhythms. Participants could also try flying a drone in a simulator, explore wetland environments through virtual reality headsets and control a robot tasked with picking up a piece of chocolate. Activities related to electric systems, automation control rooms, and a researcher’s digital twin inspired lively discussions between experts and visitors.
Once again, Researchers’ Night brought science closer to people of all ages. In addition to Jyväskylä, the event was held in eight other locations across Finland this year.
