Hasan Jawaid Khan

As a form of public engagement, science festivals have been increasingly gaining ground in recent years, rapidly expanding in size and numbers worldwide. Science festivals engage the public with contemporary science issues and research, affording the scientifically inclined visitors opportunities to interact with scientists, researchers and science administrators and the general public and families to encounter and participate in varied science engagement activities and also witness some of the latest research and development happening in different fields. The biggest and most significant impact is on the young visitors though.

There have been some studies to gauge the impact and reach of science festivals. Eric Jensen and Nicola Buckley write in their paper “Why people attend science festivals: Interests, motivations and self-reported benefits of public engagement with research” (Public Understanding of Science, 23(5), October 2012) that, “the most significant self-reported impact of attending a science festival is the development of increased interest in and curiosity about new areas of scientific knowledge within a socially stimulating and enjoyable setting”…read more on NOPR