GLASGOW SCIENCE CENTRE NEWS
inspire e g n e l l cha e engag
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Glasgow Science Centre is a charity whose mission is to inspire, challenge and engage everyone with the wonders of science.
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Mercury
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Mercury
Thank you -
GSC leads the way with Manifesto launch public, by schools and universities, and by industry and commerce. We envisage GSC not only as a hub for the community, but also as a centre of excellence where all those involved in science, engineering and technology in Scotland can showcase their pioneering work.
The new Glasgow Science Centre Manifesto sets out to increase science engagement and science education activity in support of the wider Scottish Government agenda. This year, Glasgow Science Centre celebrates 10 years of science engagement and science education. Over the last decade we’ve welcomed some 2.5 million people through our doors, delivered continuing professional development to numerous teachers and taken science to countless others through our ‘GSC on Tour’ outreach programme. Yet GSC has the capacity to involve, inform and ignite the imaginations of still more people. Our centre should be used to its full potential – by the
We already work hard to promote GSC from the bottom up. We continually seek out partnerships that support our commitment to advancing science engagement and science education. Now, with the launch of the Glasgow Science Centre Manifesto, we’re opening up an entirely new avenue for dialogue around our work – and the work of science centres in general. Even 10 years down the line, the full extent of our capabilities is not universally understood. We hope that by highlighting our proposition to the Scottish Government, the Education department, local authorities and other prominent decision makers, we’ll see additional interest from the various sectors, resulting in increased access to and use of GSC. Scotland is at the forefront of some of the most cutting edge scientific research in the world, and the nation has to seize opportunities in science education and innovation. We want to see research teams share their stories through GSC. Teachers should be able to access our support
to keep up with the staggering pace of development in science, technology and engineering. Those schools that stand to benefit most from science centres mustn’t be put off visiting because of costs. To reap the rewards of their work, scientists must be trained to apply their new knowledge commercially. Acting Chief Executive David McQueen said: “Everybody recognises that science engagement and science education are important, so we’ve set out some things we could do to stimulate more activity in these areas. We’re taking science engagement and science education activity onto a whole new level that will benefit everyone, including other providers and actors in our field. The aim of the Manifesto is really to help Scotland to up its game as we move forwards.” If you haven’t already read the Manifesto, you can download a copy from our website at www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/ manifesto.aspx
Welcome to our new Chair Professor Jim McDonald took over from Sir Kenneth Calman as Chair of Glasgow Science Centre Board in May 2011. As a distinguished academic leader with strong links to engineering, Professor Jim McDonald, Principal of the University of Strathclyde, is ideally placed to help Glasgow Science Centre to grow its reputation and build relationships in those areas where we’re less well connected. “GSC already has strong connections with academic science and medicine and with the pharmaceutical sector,” explains GSC acting Chair Professor John Coggins. “Professor McDonald will be able to strengthen the complementary links to applied science and engineering. This will help GSC to showcase the contributions of engineering and science to economic development and to delivering the sustainable supplies of energy and food that we need in the future.” Professor McDonald brings years of experience across industry and
academia. The Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Strathclyde University grew under his leadership into the largest such group in Europe, managing a £30m research portfolio. Professor McDonald has a particular focus on innovation and on the practical application of learning. During his time at the University, he’s overseen the launch of six spin-off companies, an entrepreneurs’ network and the University of Strathclyde Excellence Agenda.
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With your help we have inspired nearly 2.5 million people in the Science Mall and enthused nearly 1 million school pupils. It’s amazing what you can do in 10 years!
“These days we hear more and more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics being key to economic development. GSC has been building momentum and now has a great opportunity to build on a strong first 10 years to become a strategic driver for science in Glasgow and throughout Scotland and in raising our profile on the international stage.
Government, industry and business turn to Professor McDonald for advice, and he is involved in an official capacity with Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Science Advisory Committee, the UK Trade and Investment Energy Excellence Board, the Energy Advisory Board in Scotland, the Saltire Prize Technical Advisory Board and the Scottish Enterprise Aerospace, Marine and Defence Industrial Advisory Board.
“Most people are aware of GSC, but what we need to do now is reach out and be very positive about our partnership value. GSC can be really proactive in terms of promoting its value proposition to partners – be they educational establishments, national and local government, or industry and commerce. The centre is a real asset and with the right engagements and joint activities in place, I think GSC will become all the more important to other partners.”
“GSC is a beacon for science, engineering and technology, and it’s seen as a real catalyst for people to become more familiar with science,” says Professor McDonald.
As we welcome Professor McDonald to the Board, we also give our thanks to the retiring Chair, Sir Kenneth Calman, for his guidance and leadership over the years.
Play for the day learn for a lifetime
Issue 1 www.glasgowsciencecentre.org
Mercury MATTER A
OF SCIENCE & SPORT
THE FUTURE OF SPORT REFEREEING
1ST SEPTEMBER 2011, 7.30PM
Events by GSC Aware of the need to keep a tight rein on budgets in the current climate, our Corporate Events team has come up with an alternative way for customers to enjoy businessto-business and hospitality opportunities at GSC
‘Events by GSC’ is a series of entertaining evenings we’ve created for corporate customers and individuals. Organisations from all sectors can buy into each of our four annual events, whether through the purchase of individual tickets or an entire table for dinner. Our Corporate Events team is proud to have a reputation for delivering innovative – even quirky – events. Much corporate hospitality is skewed towards football, rugby or racing, which doesn’t appeal to everyone. Our events instead link business, current affairs, sport, and science and technology. As well as providing a memorable networking setting for business and industry, each event very much has science engagement at its heart. Two dinners and two debates have been arranged for 2011, with different price points. This will give people options and at the same time address people’s sensitivities around budgets. “We’ve been as keen as we possibly can, combining an innovative event with an affordable budget and making sure that we don’t compromise on quality,” Judy Rae, Corporate Events Manager said “We have so many
skills in-house, we’ve not needed to subcontract any of the work. Marketing materials, quiz questions and catering have all been taken care of by our people.”
physics theory to prove our ancestors wrong: it was not just the 40 or so professors present that hung onto his every word, everyone in the room was engrossed.
Our first event in the series was held in May. A Question of Science invited our 300 guests to pit their wits against one another in a challenging science quiz hosted by broadcaster and Board member Muriel Gray. The evening kicked off in style with a champagne reception, which allowed time to mingle with the other guests (and perhaps check out the competition).
The science educator given the task of setting the quiz questions made sure that Gray delivered a testing mix of conundrums. Particularly enjoyable were those that involved the audience guessing what would happen next in a series of live experiments performed by the Big Bang demonstrators. A mouth-watering menu served between rounds ensured that contestants kept their strength up throughout the evening.
Once guests were seated, leading physicist and TV presenter Professor Brian Cox gave a fascinating talk about his involvement in the Large Hadron Collider project. In discussing our endless pursuit of new learning, Prof Cox referred to the now laughable notion held by 18th century Britons that enough was already known about the world. Prof Cox had only to take us through some “simple” particle
Three further ‘Events by GSC’ will follow in 2011: A Matter of Science & Sport, a debate on the future of refereeing led by John Beattie; A Taste of Science, with a menu and presentation devised by chef John Torode; and The Science of Laughter, a debate hosted by a celebrity comedian in early 2012.
0141 420 5000 www.glasgowsciencecentre.org Glasgow Science Centre is a charity whose mission is to inspire, challenge and engage everyone with the wonders of science.