The Researchers' Night of the Silesian University of Technology and the Silesian Science Festival will be held in October

It will be an event for all science and experiment lovers. In October, the 16th edition of the Researchers' Night of the Silesian University of Technology and the 5th Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE will be held.

The Researchers' Night of the Silesian University of Technology and the Silesian Science Festival join their forces. Both events will begin on 9 October. Today, in the technology hall of the campus of the Silesian University of Technology in Katowice a joint press conference promoting both events took place. The conference was also attended by the Rectors of the Silesian University of Technology and the University of Silesia. 

On behalf of his Magnificence, Rector, Professor Arkadiusz Mężyk, the guests and journalists present at the conference were welcomed by the Vice Rector for Infrastructure and Promotion, Professor Tomasz Trawiński PhD, DSc who read out a short message from the Rector.

- Ladies and Gentlemen, a very warm welcome to the Silesian University of Technology. We are in Katowice Campus of our University, where two Faculties are located. They are: Transport and Aviation Engineering and Materials Engineering. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to add that the third faculty will soon be joining, i.e. the Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science to conduct classes in computer science. We also hope that architects and construction workers will join us too. We have invited you to the Technology Hall, which symbolically shows how close to our lives is science and the application of its achievements.

Today, we would like to invite you to the Silesian Science Festival, which will begin on 9 October, beginning with the Researchers' Night of the Silesian University of Technology. On that day, our University will open all doors on three campuses in Gliwice, Katowice and Zabrze. More than 100 different shows, events and meetings with scientists will be available for you. For 16 years now, we intend to show you that within the walls of the Silesian universities, we create world-class science, science that enables continuous and dynamic development of the region and the whole country. The Silesian University of Technology, which two years ago was granted the status of a Research University, has always been and will be close to people and their needs. We strongly believe that modern, innovative technology developed in the spirit of sustainable development changes the world for the better. Today, as scientists, we speak with a common conviction that present science should be communicatively discussed with society. Knowledge and its latest achievements should also be made available so that the awareness of the impact of science on the level and quality of our lives grows and so does the public support for the development of science in Poland - emphasised Professor Mężyk.

The Rector of the University of Silesia, Professor Ryszard Koziołek, emphasised the importance of cooperation of all universities in the organisation of both events. - We combine two events; for many years now, the Researchers’ Night of the Silesian University of Technology has been perfectly conducted together with the Silesian Science Festival. This shows that each of us, while taking care of ourselves, fighting for our best position on the Polish and world academic market, can easily cooperate, sharing our best practices - said Professor Koziołek.

The 16th edition of the Silesian Researchers’ Night will be held on 9 October at the Silesian University of Technology on campuses in Katowice, Gliwice and Zabrze. There will be a lot of attractions, because as many as 1/3 of the scientific staff of the Silesian University of Technology, i.e. almost 500 people, are involved in the organisation of this Night.

- There will be more than 100 events from mechanics, robotics, through the presentation of the achievements of student scientific associations, such as drones or autonomous robots. It will also be possible to talk to scientists, exchange views and take an active part in scientific experiments. All this is because we believe that science should be presented in a very accessible, almost tangible way - emphasised Professor of the Silesian University of Technology Tomasz Trawiński PhD, DSc.

This year’s Researchers' Night will cover topics related to ecology and alternative energy sources. - There will also be a panel for adult participants on cyber security, if for no other reason than the pandemic and the online work. We will also be talking about cooperation between science and business and how science is entering the business arena. There will also be many other attractions for the younger and the older ones, chemical, biological, language and sports shows - said Professor of the Silesian University of Technology Aleksandra Ziembińska-Buczyńska PhD, DSc, the director of the Science Popularisation Centre.

This year, the Researchers' Night will be held in a blended mode.  - We have prepared over one hundred shows, out of which more than 50 shows will be conducted in a face-to-face mode. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way. We are, of course, prepared to change it if necessary, but we hope that the pandemic this year will not disturb us - adds director Ziembińska - Buczyńska.  More information about the Researchers’ Night is available on the website Researchers’ Night of the Silesian University of Technology 2021

Many attractions have also been prepared as part of the 5th Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE. The event will take place between 9th and 15th October and it will be held in an exceptional and perhaps unique mode: the festival audience will be invited for one day to the Rawa river boulevards in Katowice, and for five consecutive days to the virtual space.

On Sunday 10 October, an area will be arranged which stretches from the Katowice market square through Teatralna Street and the Rawa River area in the vicinity of the University of Silesia to Jerzy Duda-Gracz Street. In this area, there will be 12 stages, tent halls with shows within 6 knowledge areas and special zones. The special zone of the 5th Silesin Science Festival will be dedicated to the outstanding science fiction writer Stanisław Lem. In the city and water zone, you will be able to talk about the future of Rawa in Katowice, and in the family zone, there will be attractions for children and their carers.

From 11 to 15 October, the festival will be held in the online mode - each day will be devoted to a different area of knowledge: nature, technology, humanities and social sciences, science and medicine and health. More information is available on the website Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE (slaskifestiwalnauki.pl)