What happened

On Thursday 12 May, the University of Twente organised on the premises of DesignLab the Citizen Science Conference 2022. The Conference was dedicated to Citizen Science and how a deepened cooperation between scientists and stakeholders from society can be achieved for a better understanding of societal challenges and the development of sustainable solutions. The conference aimed to bring the research and stakeholder community together to discuss the relevance of CS, how this is currently being tackled at the UT, and how regional partners and stakeholders can be engaged. The day was made possible by INCENTIVE as one of the awareness-raising activities of the project’s piloting phase.

The day consisted of three blocks that each addressed a particular audience and their needs:

  • Internal pitches by UT researchers and students to show the diversity of the research and education at UT that covers CS
  • A plenary part with external speakers on CitizenLab and Open Science
  • A science cafe on Citizen Science across the Dutch-German border with the general public

What were the outcomes

The core outcomes were a common understanding of CS at the university, the identification of an internal group of interested staff and students of approximately 120 people who will be targeted later, and a general awareness of the need for CS. The event will be followed up by a partnership with the regional authorities to promote CS in the region.

Overall, it was a successful event, where UT members shared insights on the added value of citizen science in various presentations and conversations. A special thanks to the hosts and keynote speakers, who gave a glimpse of their day-to-day experience in the collaboration between science and society.

Watch the entire conference

In case you were unable to attend the conference or you want to relive it, below you will find the links to the sessions. The morning and afternoon sessions are available below via two separate links.

Morning session here.

Afternoon session here.

Finally, you can view the photos here.

If you do have any suggestions, have points to make, would like to share insights, or would like to connect for any other reason, please do so. You will find the contact details on the website of UT DesignLab.