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The European Researchers’ Night gathers the scientific community and the public to marvel at the latest achievements of science all over Europe. 

In Jyväskylä, the event was held for the first time in 2014, when physics was brought closer to the public under the title “Hiukkasen valoa”. Since then, new disciplines have joined the event, the name has changed, and the concept has spread throughout Finland. This year the participants include universities and universities of applied sciences from Oulu, Hämeenlinna and Helsinki.

On Researchers’ Night, the public can see and learn new things that cannot be found anywhere else. The event is a great opportunity to get a comprehensive view of the work being done at the university. 

“My best memory is when I had to tell the visitors queuing in front of our demonstration room that we could not take any more people in,” says Arttu Miettinen, who leads the complex materials research group in the Department of Physics. 

“Of course, it was a pity that not everyone could see the presentation, but it felt good that so many people were interested in our work and that the room was full to bursting.”

Children and young people are the most important target group – but also a challenging one

The theme of this year’s Researchers’ Night is diversity, which is a crucial part of the university’s role as a producer of research knowledge and an education provider with social impact. Science is conducted by a diverse group of researchers and it touches each of us, as new research leads to innovations that improve lives. 

The multidisciplinary programme provides a broad overview of research at JYU and its relevance to the diversity of our cultures, communities and environment.

The ultimate goal of the event is to showcase cutting-edge research and increase people’s interest in research and science. Liisa Harjula, Head of Communications at the Ģ��ֱ��, sees children and young people as the most important target group for the event:

“The aim of the European Researchers’ Night is to reach out to young people in particular and present a research career as an interesting option,” says Harjula. 

“Our target group is demanding, and we need to be able to draw their attention from their smartphones to the accelerator laboratory.”

The programme is designed to be accessible to people of all ages and to give visitors a hands-on experience of what science can achieve. In previous years, we have seen brains made out of paper, slot cars controlled by a brain interface and chemistry demonstrations of how substances change colour and react with each other. 

The variety of workshops and the innovative ways in which they are delivered keep visitors and researchers coming back for more.

“Both young and older visitors are clearly attracted by the experiments, playfulness and hands-on approach.”