Kyoto University Academic Day 2014: A Day of Dialogue for All took place at the Clock Tower Centennial Hall. Academic Day promotes face-to-face interaction between Kyoto University researchers and the general public, enabling researchers to describe their work in accessible terms and to gain feedback that may be reflected in their research activities. This year's event comprised 50 projects involving 185 researchers, including graduate students, and four presentations by local high school teams. A total of 487 people attended the event that was held on a clear, sunny day.
Academic Day 2014 consisted of four programs offering different formats for public engagement: 1) Science Cafe' enabled visitors to engage in in-depth conversations with researchers by sitting around a Japanese-style tea table, 2) Poster Presentations encouraged visitors to interact with researchers representing diverse fields, 3) Talk Live involved discussions based on a particular theme, and 4) Researchers' Bookshelves were stocked with the participating researchers' own recommendations. Through these distinct formats, researchers and visitors alike appeared to enjoy the opportunity to talk with one another.
After the event wrap-up, there was an announcement about the "Kyoto University Academic Day Award". This Award has been instituted as part of the University's ongoing efforts to encourage researchers to participate in activities relating to "public engagement in science and technology" in the course of their work, as well as to help create an environment that values efforts to promote dialogue. Visitors were asked to fill out a questionnaire with questions such as "Out of the Science Cafe' and Poster Presentations, which session did you enjoy the most?" and "If you were to give an award to a particular presentation, what would you name the award?" This year's Award was given to the researcher who inspired the greatest number of comments.
At Academic Day 2014
Poster presentations
Science Cafe'
Talk Live
Researchers' Bookshelves (special installation of a mini-library)
The 2014 Kyoto University Academic Day Award 2014 was presented to a team that organized the poster presentation, "Tomatoes: What are they?", led by Specially Appointed Professor Daisuke Shibata of the Graduate School of Agriculture
Link
- Kyoto University Research Administration Office
http://www.kura.kyoto-u.ac.jp
