European Researchers' Night set to inspire and amaze in 26 Swedish cities

ForskarFredag, Swedish Researchers’ Night, returns 26 September–1 October 2022 with a packed programme of both face-to-face and online activities across the whole of Sweden. Sweden’s most widespread science festival will be providing thousands of members of the public and pupils with opportunities to meet researchers, experience the wonders of science and learn something new.

New popular science book
– Towards the energy of the future

Challenges and solutions concerning the energy of the future are the focus of a new book written by researchers from KTH Energy Platform in collaboration with VA. The aim of the book is to stimulate discussion on how to tackle the transition to a sustainable energy system. It is available in both English and Swedish.

Current activities

Online science café to discuss current societal challenges
Covid, war, disinformation and climate change. Join researchers from three countries in an online science café on “resilience in a chaotic world” on 30 September to explore how knowledge and culture can help tackle the many crises currently facing society. This is one of a number of pan-European collaboration activities that VA is involved in as part of this year’s European Researchers’ Night. Read more.

Whole of Sweden invited to help research plastic pollution
In this nationwide citizen science project, thousands of members of the public and school pupils will be collecting and analysing plastic litter in order to help researchers map the extent of plastic waste in the Swedish natural environment. The Plastic Experiment is part of ForskarFredag, European Researchers’ Night in Sweden, and is being run by VA in collaboration with the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation and the University of Gothenburg. Read more.

National SciComm conference celebrates 10th anniversary
The Forum for Science Communication celebrates its 10th year with a hybrid programme to be held in Stockholm and online on 15 November. Organised by VA in collaboration with Swedish partners, the conference has become the biggest Nordic event for those working in science communication. Read more. 

VA conference celebrates 20 years of dialogue
VA’s 20th anniversary celebrations continue on 12 October at VA Dagen, VA’s annual conference, which will be a hybrid event with an opportunity to participate online or in person in Stockholm. The two hour programme (mainly in Swedish) will be followed by a celebratory networking event. We invite everyone to join and help us to celebrate! Read more.

VA staff join European advisory groups
VA’s International Relations and Communications Manager Maria Hagardt has recently been invited to join the NCP (National Contact Points) WIDERA-net's European Advisory Board, and researcher Martin Bergman has been selected as a Swedish expert to participate in the EC’s mutual learning exercise on citizen science initiatives. Both initiatives are aimed at identifying and sharing good practices at European level.

Impact of SSHA conference to be held in Stockholm
Registration is now open for the Impact of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts conference taking place 2–4 November in Stockholm. VA is a collaboration partner for this cross-sectoral conference organised by the AESIS Network, which seeks to advance the societal impact of science. Read more.

VA’s recent activities

Nordic Baltic SciComm trends
Around 30 science communicators and public engagement officers from across the Nordics and beyond met online in June to explore the secrets of engagement initiatives run during the pandemic. Speakers from five countries openly shared their tips and tricks at the seminar organised by VA, coordinator of the Falling Walls Engage Hub Sweden. Read more.

European exchanges on scicomm
The summer conference season provided VA colleagues with the opportunity to share VA activities, gain inspiration and network at a number of international conferences. VA contributed to sessions at the EuroScience Open Forum in Leiden in the Netherlands, the EUSEA conference in Cork in Ireland, and the EUPRIO conference in Zürich, Switzerland. Read more.

VA’s recent publications and resources available in English

VA Barometer 2021/2022: An annual survey into the Swedish public’s general attitudes towards science and researchers.

VA information folder 2022: Information about VA and its members.

Towards the energy of the future: popular science book written by researchers from KTH Energy Platform in collaboration with VA.

VA’s definition guides to science communication, citizen science, open science and responsible research and innovation

VA in social media