NEWSLETTER

The events included the Medicina-Scientia-Cultura conference (MSC2017) organised by the Polish Chemical Society and the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw as a finale to a series of events across Poland (http://msc.warsawtour.pl/calendar/index_en.htm and http://www.warsawtour.pl/en/warsaw-for-everyone/in-the-footsteps-of-maria-sk-odowska-curie-160224.html).

MSC2017 took place in Warsaw on 6-8 November and celebrated Marie Skłodowska-Curie in the context of science, medicine and culture. Every day of the conference addressed a different topic at different Warsaw universities. Marie’s involvement in medicine was discussed at the Medical University of Warsaw (module Medicina). The importance of science for modern society was the focus of the conference at Warsaw University of Technology (module Scientia). Finally, the socio-cultural aspects of women in science were considered at Warsaw University (module Cultura).

The conference concluded with a festive gala organised at the Warsaw University of Technology, attended by 22 MCAA members from around Europe to whom an exclusive invitation had been extended. The gala celebration was opened by Marie’s grandchildren, Hélène Langevin-Joliot and Prof. Pierre Joliot. A multimedia dance show and a symphony orchestra played works dedicated to Maria Skłodowska-Curie. The gala dinner also provided an opportunity for other MCAA Fellows visiting Poland to meet and spend time together before the following day’s intensive workshop.

The ‘Standing up for Science EU’ workshop on 10 November was organised in association with the Voice of Young Science network of the charity Sense about Science. This was the first VoYS media and policy workshop held outside of the UK or Brussels. MCAA Polish Chapter members Michał Karpiński (Vice- Chair) and Maria Górna (ex-Chair) co-organised the workshop and secured generous financial support from the host University of Warsaw.

The event was attended by over 50 participants representing the event’s sponsors, as well as 22 MCAA Fellows. The focus was standing up for science in everyday life and in policy-making. The programme covered presentations from scientists who have contributed to the popularisation of science in mainstream media. Scientists shared their bitter-sweet experiences of sharing information and how this had had an impact on their understanding and execution of their research. The perspectives of policy-makers and their advisors were also covered in a session on how scientific research is used to determine policies for the near and long-term future. Another session provided insights into the role of journalists, what they expect from researchers, and their point of view on the process of communicating science to the general public. Participants heard about good practices for clearer communication and were encouraged to volunteer to disseminate their work through different media.

The workshop was very well received by participants and partners. As a pilot event for the international ‘Standing up for science EU’ series it paved the way for future workshops in Brussels and Spain in 2018.

In addition to the conference and the workshop, a get-together was organised in Klub Zak in Gdansk on 7 November – Marie Skłodowska- Curie’s actual birthday. The event helped recruit two new members and opened channels of communication to a few more. Flowers were also laid during ceremony in front of the monument of Maria at the site of Warsaw’s former Radium Institute.