Promoting science among youngsters
Malta is taking part in a EU-funded project to raise interest in science among secondary school-aged children. Called EC-FUN, it has Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden as partners. The colourful website www.ecfun.eu offers a version in the...
Malta is taking part in a EU-funded project to raise interest in science among secondary school-aged children.
Called EC-FUN, it has Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden as partners.
The colourful website www.ecfun.eu offers a version in the respective partners' national language, including Maltese, and is structured as if the young scientists are attending university, complete with virtual lecture rooms, library and offices. Lectures are also delivered in Maltese.
"The aim of EC-FUN is to reach the 11- to 14-year-olds that might not be even considering sciences as an area of interest for them," explained Angele Giuliano, one of the Maltese partners in the project. "We want to reach students who think that in order to be a scientist one needs to be a Nobel Prize winner, and dispel this myth."
The biographies of 75 scientists from all over the EU have been published, highlighting their life when still at school and most of the time not recognised as being the brightest among their peers.
"Maltese children are like all the other children in the world... both fascinated by the wondrous science, yet at the same time afraid that the subject might prove to be difficult at school."
While Maltese primary school children get a limited number of science lessons each scholastic year, older students can study science subjects in more depth. Yet Malta does not spend much in scientific research and development (R&D) compared to the other EU countries.
"Although I would love to see a larger expenditure on R&D funding from the public sector, I understand that the money can only be stretched to a certain limit," admitted Ms Giuliano. "Having said that, however, I think that R&D is happening in Malta. I think more should be done in promoting Maltese success stories so that our children can see our great potential in this area as well."
The European Commission, through its various DGs (Directorate Generals), has several programmes that focus wholly or in part on science and technology. The 7th Framework Programme for Research is definitely the best known. Managed by DG Research, it runs for seven years from 2007 to 2013 with a budget of around €51 billion and tackles areas related to health, engineering, food and agriculture, transport, aerospace, environment, energy and social sciences.
There are also the Intelligent Energy Programme which focuses on sustainable energy resources and part of the CIP programme (under DG Enterprise); the LIFE+ programme, focusing on environmental sciences (under DG Environment); and the Eureka programme that shifts scientific research into practical business applications.
The Malta Council for Science and Technology (FP7), Malta Enterprise (CIP, Eureka) and MEPA (LIFE+) are the local contacts.
Called EC-FUN, it has Malta, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden as partners.
The colourful website www.ecfun.eu offers a version in the respective partners' national language, including Maltese, and is structured as if the young scientists are attending university, complete with virtual lecture rooms, library and offices. Lectures are also delivered in Maltese.
"The aim of EC-FUN is to reach the 11- to 14-year-olds that might not be even considering sciences as an area of interest for them," explained Angele Giuliano, one of the Maltese partners in the project. "We want to reach students who think that in order to be a scientist one needs to be a Nobel Prize winner, and dispel this myth."
The biographies of 75 scientists from all over the EU have been published, highlighting their life when still at school and most of the time not recognised as being the brightest among their peers.
"Maltese children are like all the other children in the world... both fascinated by the wondrous science, yet at the same time afraid that the subject might prove to be difficult at school."
While Maltese primary school children get a limited number of science lessons each scholastic year, older students can study science subjects in more depth. Yet Malta does not spend much in scientific research and development (R&D) compared to the other EU countries.
"Although I would love to see a larger expenditure on R&D funding from the public sector, I understand that the money can only be stretched to a certain limit," admitted Ms Giuliano. "Having said that, however, I think that R&D is happening in Malta. I think more should be done in promoting Maltese success stories so that our children can see our great potential in this area as well."
The European Commission, through its various DGs (Directorate Generals), has several programmes that focus wholly or in part on science and technology. The 7th Framework Programme for Research is definitely the best known. Managed by DG Research, it runs for seven years from 2007 to 2013 with a budget of around €51 billion and tackles areas related to health, engineering, food and agriculture, transport, aerospace, environment, energy and social sciences.
There are also the Intelligent Energy Programme which focuses on sustainable energy resources and part of the CIP programme (under DG Enterprise); the LIFE+ programme, focusing on environmental sciences (under DG Environment); and the Eureka programme that shifts scientific research into practical business applications.
The Malta Council for Science and Technology (FP7), Malta Enterprise (CIP, Eureka) and MEPA (LIFE+) are the local contacts.