Eighth Science Open Days Festival officially opened: From curiosity to innovation

 

The eighth edition of the Science Open Days Festival under the “From curiosity to innovation” slogan was officially opened tonight in the Capital Plaza Centre in Podgorica with the exhibition of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre titled “What makes a fair society”.

- We have gathered here tonight to open the eighth edition of Science Open Days, a festival that promotes the importance of science and innovation for social and economic development, which can be ensured most effectively if an open and active dialogue is established between all the stakeholders, decision-makers, economic, scientific and artistic communities and citizens, the Minister of Science Dr. Sanja Damjanović said at the festival’s official opening ceremony

According to her, the mission of the Ministry of Science is to show that there is no economic prosperity without science and innovation, as evidenced by developed countries, whose course we need to follow in order to strive for a knowledge-based economy.

- Responsibility in science implies respect for the needs of citizens in determining the research topics, so this year’s Science Days present the concept of “citizens’ roles in science” and actively involve citizens in the dialogue, Minister Damjanović pointed out, stressing that the festival ought to remind us that knowledge is not contained only in a small number of people and that broader community could bring important insights to the process of identifying efficient solutions.

Jutta Thielen-del Pozo, Head of the Scientific Development Unit at the EC’s Joint Research Centre, said that getting scientific policies right was essential for the wellbeing of all our citizens, especially in an increasingly globalised world.

 

 

- Explaining that there are no simple solutions to complex problems is one of the biggest challenges of both scientists and policy makers today. More than ever before, scientists must be experts, open minded, capable of looking beyond the horizon and the obvious, to find innovative solutions and answers to problems that concern all of us, Thielen-del Pozo said.

 

Through the exhibition – What makes a fair society – author Frederik De Wilde gives a new reflection on Rodin’s famous sculpture – The Thinker – and asks what would the Thinker think about today, in the light of our successes on the one hand, and challenges and real risks on the other.

 

- I am pleased and honoured I was invited by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro and the Joint Research Centre to present my creation called “Hyperthinker”, which aims to re-examine our lives that take place online, as well as all those invisible networks that surround us and even pass through us symbolically, the author of the sculpture said.

 

The exhibition also includes the works of scientist and photographer Davy Vanham and Luc Feyen, who use a series of photos titled The Water We Eat to pose questions about fairness in the light of global water consumption, as well as the unique photographs of French photographer Anaïs Tondeur, who followed the trajectory of a black carbon particle to draw attention to the problem of air pollution in a unique way.

 

In order for these projects to be successfully implemented, multidisciplinary cooperation is needed, which is traditionally promoted in one of the most prestigious scientific centres in CERN. This year, the Science Open Days Festival will again host the Art@CMS programme, a famous collaboration between artists, scientists and universities, whose mission is to present scientific discoveries to the general public and inspire young people to engage in science. In his speech, Mr. Christoph Schäfer from the CERN’s International Relations Unit said that he was glad that cooperation with Montenegro was increasingly successful, as demonstrated by the collaboration through the CMS project. 

 

After the official part of the opening ceremony, artist Slobodan Marunović recited Njegoš’s lyrics, whereas artist Milena Janković demonstrated amazing vocal capabilities.

In the next four days at the Science Open Days Festival, we are expecting a diverse programme, offering, inter alia, the opening of the first Mediterranean garden, a traditional IT manifestation Knowledge Factory, the exhibition of the Natural History Museum, Science shop, Science on the Move, astronomical evening and many other quality contents.

The entire programme can be seen at www.daninauke.me.