Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: Insights from the 2023 NCCPE Public Engagement Conference

The NCCPE hosted the one-day online conference in December 2023, sparking discussions about the changing landscape of public engagement (PE). The conference was arranged into a choice of interactive morning sessions and the chance to visit ‘Engage Carnival’ in the afternoon. A significant portion of the morning discussion focused on identifying the main barriers preventing a more inclusive public engagement. These barriers included lack of age-appropriate activities for families, concerns about the cost of the visit and parking, fear of visiting unfamiliar space (University or Museum) and the knowledge gap. The discussion then focused on strategies for inclusive engagement and conference participants explored various collaborative approaches between local communities and higher education institutions. Long- term strategies such as employing engagement officers, tailoring events to specific groups, conducting focus groups prior to larger events, changing event names, and using existing local community venues emerged as practical solutions. In the afternoon, participants could choose to visit different stalls of engagement activity in practice. A fascinating case study presented in one of the stalls, ‘The Dataset Dream’, described a project involving a butterfly database brought to life though sculpture and poetry. This innovative approach engaged the public with science though art, immersing them in an imaginary space where nature blended seamlessly with digital elements. Despite the high cost, the project succeeded in conveying complex scientific concepts to the public, showcasing the potential of science and art collaborations. The conference concluded with discussions on the future of public engagement and the renowned science communicator and physicist Jim Al-Khalili emphasized the duty of universities to share knowledge beyond the traditional platforms such as publications and lectures. His inspiring words resonated with the overarching theme of the conference, urging institutions to embrace a broader, more inclusive approach to public engagement. The NCCPE conference of 2023 not only uncovered challenges in public engagement but also proposed innovative strategies and celebrated successful projects that bridge the gap between academia and the public.

For more information about the conference, please visit: Engage

For Dataset’s Dream, visit Dream

Image by Brian Merrill from Pixabay