Aberdeen University has right formula to host science festival

The British Science Festival, the largest public access celebration of science in the country, will be held at Aberdeen University in September 2012 – the first time the event has been staged in the Granite City for almost 50 years.

The week-long festival, which is being held in Birmingham this year, is expected to attract at least 40,000 visitors to events designed to engage the public with the latest thinking in science, technology and engineering.

The festival is organised by the British Science Association, formed in 1831 to advance the public's understanding of the sciences and engineering. The event was last staged in Scotland in 2001, in Glasgow.

Professor Ian Diamond, the principal and vice-chancellor of Aberdeen University, said the economic benefits the festival will bring were expected to be matched by the national profile the event will attract for the partner organisations, sponsors, and the region.

Prof Diamond said: "Today, it is more important than ever that we engage and debate widely on the impact of research on every aspect of our lives, and on our urgent need to harness its potential to tackle the global challenges we now face."

Professor Dominic Houlihan, the university's vice-principal for research and commercialisation, is leading the planning team for the event.

He said: "There is huge enthusiasm for the festival within the university, and with this excellent news we are keen to sit down with colleagues across the North-east's education and research sector to plan the practical aspects of working together to produce an outstanding experience for the many thousands of visitors we expect.

"We know that this will attract people to Aberdeen from all parts of the UK and we will also be talking to our local authorities, potential corporate partners, and economic development bodies to maximise the business benefits for the area."

Sir Roland Jackson, the chief executive of the British Science Association, said he had been impressed by the active role the Aberdeen branch of the association had played in public engagement with science over the years.

He added: "An element of the bid which really stood out was the potential to build on the excellent partnerships already in evidence between the region's universities, further education colleges and specialist research institutes, and the strong links with the local authorities, the economic sector, and with the unique mix of urban and rural communities."

The successful bid was led by the university in partnership with TechFest-SetPoint, a charitable organisation based in Aberdeen which aims to inspire young people about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The university will host the festival from 4 to 9 September, 2012, at King's College in Old Aberdeen and at the Foresterhill health campus.

There will also be events at venues across the city and Aberdeenshire with plans to deliver coverage to remote areas of northern Scotland, using advanced internet technology.