NUSTEM hosts Interact Symposium

Northumbria University’s NUSTEM group are hosting the Interact Symposium this week, in partnership with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Institute of Physics, the Odgen Trust, the Royal Astronomical Society and the South East Physics Network.

The biannual event aims to support organisations, charities, and industry partners working in the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths to improve their public engagement and outreach activities.

During the conference, which takes place at Northumbria’s city centre campus on Thursday, organisations and individuals will have chance to share experiences and good practice, as well as exploring funding opportunities for engagement.

NUSTEM was established in 2014 with the aim of engaging more young people in the STEM subjects, inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers, and redressing the balance of female students and under-represented groups studying STEM subjects in universities.

Over the last decade the group has worked with over 160,000 primary and secondary school pupils along with their families and teachers to foster an enjoyment of STEM subjects in young people, with the aim of encouraging more to consider careers in STEM.

During the Interact Symposium, members of the NUSTEM will speak about their successful work engaging the public in the physical sciences.

NUSTEM outreach specialist Joe Shimwell and Northumbria’s Dr Richard Morton will discuss Dr Morton’s ‘Solar Stanzas’ project, which aims to teach young people about solar physics through poetry.

Solar Stanzas was part of an STFC-funded project entitled ‘Imagining the Sun’, which involved artists, poets and academics and resulted in a series of public performances and exhibitions.

NUSTEM evaluation and social research specialist Annie Padwick will also speak at the event about evaluating the success of outreach activity and measuring impact.

Discussing the Interact Symposium coming to Northumbria University, NUSTEM Director Dr Carol Davenport said: “We are delighted to welcome STEM colleagues from across the country to Newcastle for Interact and are looking forward to sharing our successful experiences of public and engagement and outreach here at NUSTEM.

“We have close links with all the partners involved in organising the symposium – indeed, a lot of the research we are currently carrying out within our department of Maths, Physics and Electrical Engineering is thanks to funding from the STFC.”

The Interact Symposium was stablished in 2017 and has previously been held at the University of Birmingham (2017), the University of Central Lancashire in Preston (2019) and Cardiff (2022).

Find out more about theInteract Symposium 2024.