Education is vital to help our city’s communities engage in science
JANUARY is always a time for reflection and resolutions for the year ahead and one of the things we want to do more at Glasgow Science Centre is to inspire, motivate and encourage people of all ages, abilities and social backgrounds to take the first steps to appreciate and participate fully in a society where science and technology are prevalent.
Innovation trends point to an exciting and complex 2020 with developments such as the “internet of bodies”, where we’ll be increasingly connected to health, medical and communication devices to monitor and measuring everything from blood pressure, heart rate to even snoring.
Mobile providers are also expected to launch 5G networks and its speed and capacity will enable more innovations in areas such as advanced emergency services, security systems and remote investigations.
Autonomous vehicles will be further developing and the workplace will continue to be reshaped by AI and robotics with more predictable and routine work being automated and the renewed interest in space will see countries such as China, Japan and India aiming to be space powers in their own rights.
With all of these exciting developments it is important that we don’t forget that there are huge global issues that we are facing such as climate change, data security, food sustainability, antimicrobial resistance and plastic pollution.
Innovations in science and technology will be an essential component in addressing these challenges.
Engaging the widest possible audience in science has never been more important.
As a registered Scottish charity, we want to do more to help people of all ages and backgrounds discover their “inner scientist” and develop the confidence and motivation to take the next step in the journey of learning and discovery.
We’re working with academia, industry and civil societies to develop partnerships to encourage STEM learning and last week, we celebrated 20 years of working in partnership with the Clyde River Foundation on the Clyde in the Classroom project where more than 30,000 children have learned about river ecology and wildlife in their local area along the Clyde. We are fortunate to have many partners who share our ambition to see Glasgow and Scotland thrive.
Through our community engagement programme, we’ve also worked on building the confidence of learners from areas with the highest deprivation around Glasgow through partnerships with mental health charities, homelessness support groups, asylum seekers and senior citizen clubs. Later this year will also see the launch of our new Community STEM Hub so that we can continue to evolve as a space for communities in Glasgow to engage in science.
Alongside with this, we will open our new innovation-themed exhibition, Idea No59 in March and we have a key role to play in helping the general public understand the issues that will be discussed in the UN climate