Monday 06 February 2017

British Council’s Revolutionary Science Alive Returns to Hong Kong 

Date: 4 - 17 March 2017

Venue: Hong Kong Science Museum

6 Feburary 2017 (HONG KONG) – Science Alive returns to Hong Kong with leading UK scientists and communicators to inspire and engage students, teachers and the public. Taking place from 4 to 17 March 2017, the event is jointly organised by the British Council, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Education City Limited and sponsored by the Croucher Foundation.  Science Alive 2017 includes a range of activities designed to promote a wider understanding of science and to encourage education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). 

‘Through Science Alive and its range of activities we hope to inspire Hong Kong’s youth especially girls to consider science as a career,’ says Sophia Chan-Combrink, Head of Education and Society, British Council, Hong Kong. ‘Effective science communication has the potential to alter stereotypes and to create excitement and interest in the pursuit of STEM education among young people, who, after all, are the much-needed scientists of tomorrow.” 

For 2017, Science Alive’s theme is ‘This Pale Blue Dot’ – our planet. In 1994, astronomer Carl Sagan said, ‘There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate…to me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” 

Our planet is a place that is under threat – to its waters, its forests, its air and its biodiversity. These threats are largely related to the activities by us humans who live and depend on this planet. Science Alive 2017 seeks to highlight the importance of appreciating, understanding and acting to preserve the beauty and complexity of “This Pale Blue Dot’ through a range of events. Highlights include:

•Family days with drop-in activities and science walk-about shows will feature outreach teams from Newcastle University and the University of Glasgow, as well as dinosaur paleontologist Dr Michael Pittman from the University of Hong Kong and scientist and adventurer Huw James. These weekend family days promote STEM education and encourage the development of a vibrant science and technology industry in Hong Kong.

•Interactive drama shows from the Ministry of Science will help audiences discover how science and engineering in the past and present have changed the way we live; Science Made Simple will look into how the powers of superheroes can be made into reality; and Huw James’ adventure show will explore the science and technology behind the Anturus Expendition. These programmes explain complicated science in creative ways in an attempt to kick-start and nurture creativity and innovation amongst Hong Kong’s youth.

•Outdoor environmental learning conducted by ProjectTerrae will take students to Ma Shi Chau in the Northeast New Territories and visit one of the most significant parts of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark.

•Family workshops will look at discovering the earth through space travel and technology; the science of confectionary; and the rocks that allow us to form an understanding of our planet. 

•STEM workshops will challenge the ideas and stereotypes that people have about science and scientists with fun and interactive Street Science experiments. 

Event Announcement & Press Tour Invitation

•Experience-sharing with Huw James will see the adventurer tell tales of living in the jungle with the plants and animals and reveal how science can bring back habitats from the brink.

•A series of interactive science lectures will feature talks on new discoveries in the dinosaur world by Dr Michael Pittman of the University of Hong Kong; star science communicator David Saddington will speak on climate change; a talk on how our world works will be presented by Professor Lewis Dartnell of the University of Westminster; and Professor Joyce Harper from the Institute for Women’s Health at University College London will talk about the future of genetic testing and reproduction without sex. 

•The FameLab competition will return to Hong Kong for its eighth year on a search for the city’s most talented science communicators who can go on to be involved in science communication and pass on their enthusiasm for their subjects to more of Hong Kong’s young students. 

•This year’s series of events also relates to the classroom: a student debate will look into humans’ adverse impact on the planet; student workshops will focus on renewable energy and the hidden creatures in our oceans; and teacher development workshops that will encourage our educators to make STEM more appealing and relevant to our future scientists are all on offer.

The British Council brings in scientific experts from world-renowned scientific institutions in the UK with an aim to encourage science literacy across Hong Kong, creating a more informed and responsible society. Access to most events at Science Alive is by on-the-day registration, which begins one hour prior to the programme and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Where pre-registration is available or required, a number of seats will be reserved for walk-ins.

Free Admission. For more information, please visit

https://www.britishcouncil.hk/en/programmes/education/science/science-alive

## High-resolution photos of Science Alive 2016 available via this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7l4ay7womyuspz0/AAAm_2h6CacEAP4U4dhSr28ca?dl=0

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK’s cultural resources we make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications.

Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. The majority of our income is raised delivering a range of projects and contracts in English teaching and examinations, education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. Eighteen per cent of our funding is received from the UK government.