Scientific culture

Discover computer-based research

Promoting the understanding and appropriation of scientific knowledge by a wide public is a recognised necessity, in a world where science and technical considerations play a major role in terms of economics and society. So it is that, in keeping with its strategic objectives, the Inria Nancy-Grand Est research centre has been developing numerous scientific-culture based actions, aimed at both young people and the general public.

Scientific-culture actions for the general public

The festival of Science

To mark the 19th annual Festival of Science event, the Inria Nancy-Grand Est research centre opened its doors to the public on Saturday 23 October from 10am to 6pm, in order to offer an insight into the world of digital science. This operation was organised in partnership with the CNRS, the ESIAL Robotik club and the laboratories of the Charles Hermite Federation: the LORIA, the CRAN and the Elie Cartan Institute. The day proved a real success, with a total of almost 370 people taking up this opportunity to learn about the world of computer-science, control and mathematics research.

The Science café

Inria Nancy–Grand Est is a a partner of this operation, headed by the CST department at Nancy University. Debating matters of current scientific affairs within a convivial setting: such is the objective of these monthly meetings.  The debates and discussions are held in a Nancy-Metz café on one Tuesday a month between 6.30pm and 8pm, and are open to all. Admission is free. Coordinated by a journalist, the science café brings together three participants focusing on a single research topic relating to our everyday life. Discover the 2010/2011 programme 


Educational activities aimed at young people

Participation in the mathematics olympiads

Every year Inria Nancy-Grand Est hosts the mathematics olympiads prize ceremony, thus continuing in its mission to raise young people’s awareness of scientific disciplines and the challenges presented by Information and Communication Science and Technology. Each year prizes are awarded to around 15 successful candidates, all sixth-form pupils from within the Nancy-Metz educational authority.

Operation "A day in the life of a researcher"

In an action initiated by the European Commission, every year Inria Nancy-Grand Est invites secondary school pupils from the Nancy-Metz educational authority to experience a day in the life of a researcher. This action has been developed at the Nancy-Grand Est Inria research centre. 79 pupils from the Nancy-Metz educational authority were thus welcomed onto the site in 2009.

Open days

The Inria Nancy-Grand Est centre regularly opens its doors to secondary school pupils and students in higher education.

Coordination of conferences

Researchers and research-lecturers coordinate conferences for the benefit of sixth-form science students and teacher associations. The objective is to demonstrate to students the importance of research in a world that is constantly evolving. The speakers highlight the presence of mathematics within their research work, discuss what their job entails, talk about the career path that took them there, etc. In 2010, around ten conferences were organized within a number of secondary schools across the Nancy-Metz educational authority.

Participation in "Mathenjeans"

Over the course of the current academic year, 2010-2011, Vincent Nivoliers, a PhD student from the ALICE project-team, will assist in the running of the "Mathenjeans" club at Chepfer secondary school in Villers-lès-Nancy, led by two maths teachers. 15 year-7 to year-10 students are taking part. 

Experimenting in computer science (STNUM)

Building and programming a robot capable of travelling along a white line, programming another robot to take hold of an orange and put it in a juicer, creating a 3D video from a short film recorded in standard video format, creating a web browser for elderly users, designing an access-control system secured by an RFID card reader... these are all challenges that have been launched in 2010 by 44 year 11 pupils from across the Nancy area: Varoquaux, Loritz and Chopin. This trial-and-error, experimenting and exchanging of results is what motivated the pupils involved, who were all willing volunteers in this innovative experimentation: the experimental teaching of Digital Sciences and Technologies. The projects conducted in the classroom, by the pupils themselves, were presented on 7 June 2010, in the presence of Gérard Berry, incumbent to a computer-science chair at the Collège de France.

The Nancy-Metz educational authority, a solid partner

The Nancy-Metz educational authority is mindful of the importance of promoting scientific teaching and develops activities that offer guidance to students, lighting the way towards predominantly science-based higher-education studies. In this perspective, and with a view to altering the image held of mathematics and the approach to this discipline by secondary school pupils, actions have been put in place in schools which have volunteered to take part in the scheme: scientific workshops, conferences in schools led by Inria researchers, partnerships with the university to accompany teams of pupils in research activities. The Nancy-Metz educational authority provides teachers with information on the careers open to students who have taken a science-based course of study.

Keywords: Science awareness Scientific mediation Pedagogy Fête de la science Lecturers

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