Galway Science and Technology Festival will run from the 12 - 24 of November, celebrating 26 years of inspiring young people and the public about the world around us. Medtronic is delighted to partner with the Festival as the main sponsor for the 22nd year running.
Since 1998, the Festival has grown to become the largest event in Ireland for the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM ), with an average attendance level of 25,000 at the annual exhibition day on the University of Galway campus.
The theme for Science Week 2023 is ‘Human’. It examines what it means to be human in today’s world. Human creativity, curiosity and concepts have transformed how we live, how we interact with each other, and our relationship with our planet. Incredible developments have shaped our understanding of ourselves and our world.
The Festival will feature over 200 free events for 35,000 primary and secondary school students. There are a variety of shows and workshops for schools with a Sue McGrath Science and Engineering Kit available for every primary school. The Festival has partnered with Galway City Museum, Galway Atlantaquaria and Brigit’s Garden to provide STEM related workshops and tours.
The seventh Fr. Seán Manning Galway Primary School Science Quiz will take place on Friday November 17 in Coláiste Muire Máthair (formerly St. Mary’s College ). This table quiz consists of teams of four 5th and/or 6th class pupils, who compete for some great prizes sponsored by Medtronic Galway. Questions include everyday science and also from the recommended primary school science curriculum. Entry is free and an official entry form will be sent to all primary schools or by contacting [email protected]
Anne Murray, Festival Manager is reminding all schools to place their bookings for an event for their school on the website “there will be a fantastic virtual Sue McGrath Science and Engineering kit available for every primary school and a number of in-person shows and workshops for secondary schools – booking forms are available on our website.”
Annual Exhibition Day
The fantastic annual Exhibition day will return to the University of Galway campus on Sunday 12th of November. This unmissable day is filled with exciting exhibitions and workshops inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. There will be fantastic interactive stands by world leading global companies, local universities, research centres and local primary and secondary schools. The Exhibition will also include over 20 educational and entertaining workshops and shows including the ever popular Cell Explorers; zoology workshops showcasing real tarantulas, snakes, scorpions and lizards to very excited children and much, much more for the entire family to enjoy. The Exhibition itself is free to attend with tickets for individual shows and workshops released on Saturday November 4 at 9am on Eventbrite.
The programme of events will include a special event on Artificial Intelligence at the University of Galway on Thursday November 16 in the O’Donoghue Centre and a ‘Superhero Movie Night’ with Barry Fitzgerald who returns to the Festival to give a talk on the science of superhero powers, followed by a screening of the new Marvel movie ‘The Marvels’.
Further building on the theme, Atlantic Technological University will be holding two events in Galway that will delve into different aspects of what it means to be human. The events will focus on the impact of nutrition and biomechanics on human performance and another event will investigate human personality traits and how we can use them, especially in areas such as career development.
Superhuman, developed by CÚRAM, is an exciting exhibit at the Galway City Museum. Full of hands-on fun and interactive elements, it invites the public to explore the creativity and innovation of MedTech research, seeking to find solutions for human illnesses. The exhibit is open from Tuesday to Saturday and there will be a special workshop for schools, will be led by CÚRAM’s education team. The workshop will explore creative solutions to help people overcome the difficulties of living with an illness. CÚRAM is a Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Medical Devices at University of Galway.
Paul Mee, Chairman of the Galway Science and Technology Festival called on everyone to get involved, he said “There will be a wide range of amazing events for the public to attend this year, including our ever popular annual Exhibition Day. Keep an eye on our revamped website for further updates. Our mission remains to encourage curiosity in young people in STEM and help them become our next generation of scientists and engineers”.
The Festival is supported by Medtronic as main sponsor, Science Foundation Ireland, third-level universities in Galway, supporting sponsors and government agencies.
Follow it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @galwayscience. Use #GalwayScience on social channels. Visit GalwayScience.ie for more information.
