THE RESEARCHERS’ BRIGHT-NIGHT 2020 IN PISA TO TAKE PLACE IN SEPTEMBER HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 27 DUE TO COVID-19
The European Commission’s flagship annual initiative, the Researchers’ Night event set to take place in Pisa in September has been postponed to 27 November 2020 due to COVID-19. The Universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena, the University for Foreigners of Siena, Scuola Normale Superiore, Sant’Anna, Scuola IMT Alti Studi Lucca, the National Research Council (CNR), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) and other Tuscany cultural organizations are currently working to strengthen community and public engagement.
In developing and maintaining trust among researchers and the public, the European Union confirmed its financial support to the initiative for assessing the levels of trust in science and research within the Tuscany region and the impacts on the standing of research institutions within the local community. In Tuscany, the event BRIGHT-NIGHT, an acronym for “Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in research” will reflect the ongoing commitment to civic engagement by the research institutions.
On Friday, 27 November 2020, researchers will explore the role of their scientific activities by highlighting the concepts of shared responsibility for urban development and social sustainability to achieve the UN Agenda 2030 goals across the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Effective engagement will stimulate public interest and discussions on topics such as digitalization and demographic change, the environment, and the protection of EU common civic and democratic values.
“The availability and accessibility of healthcare, firmly placed at the heart of the EU’s 2030 agenda, along with the relevance of the research to current issues of society, have a meaningful social role to play locally and nationally, including a growing public awareness of the latest technological discoveries. The Researchers’ Night help people explore the impact of science on everyday life.”, said Luigi Dei, the Rector of the University of Florence, as the Bright Night 2020 project coordinator.