Energy for research

Foto: Anita Thorolvsen Munch
For the 14th time, Norway's annual Science Week (Forskningsdagene) opened this weekend.

This year's festival puts a special focus on environmentally sound energy and various combinations of art and science. It also celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the great Norwegian poet Henrik Wergeland.

In the span of just over a week, over 1,000 events are being hosted, and throughout Norway, the public will turn out in great numbers to get acquainted with the best that Norwegian research has to offer.

1000 events
The events range from science fairs, demonstrations, lectures, «stand-up scientist» performances, exhibits and discussions, to tours, information stands, and cultural and hands-on activities.

Organisers include institutions of higher education, research institutes, representatives of trade and industry, municipalities, museums, libraries, professional associations and other private and public institutions.

Nearly all the events are available to the public, free of charge.

Foto: Anita Thorolvsen Munch


Openening ceremony in petroleum hub
The Norwegian Research Minister Tora Aasland officially opened the Science Week from the brand-new science centre Vitenfabrikken (the Science Factory), in Sandnes.  

The south-western town of Snadnes is located in the heart of Norway's petroleum activities, and the opening seminar was, timely enough, dedicated to the 2008 festival's main topic: environmentally sound energy.

Interplay of art and science
This year's National Science Week also employs artistic media to inform the general public. Theatre, visual art and music will be used to expose people to research topics in very new ways.

"My researcher photo", a national photography contest, will give members of the public a chance to draw on their own visual creativity to illustrate their relationship to researchers and their work.

The photography contest is just one of a series of activities in Norway in connection with the EU's major initiative "Researchers' Night", which kicks off Friday, 26 September. That evening, researchers from all across Europe will present their views on the significance of research in society, and what the life of a researcher is like.

Foto: Anita Thorolvsen Munch


Organised by the Research Council
The Research Council of Norway took the initiative to organise Norway's first Forskningsdagene in 1995. Since then, the festival has emerged as the nation's foremost arena for publicly-targeted information about science and research activities, with events taking place at locations throughout the entire country.

Forskningsdagene is significant in size, geographical spread and scientific scope, not least seen in relation to Norway's population of 4,7 million people.

Find more information on the festivals own pages.

Source: The Research Council of Norway