Important

CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS WITH YOUNG SCIENCE AMBASSADORS AT MALL SOFIA

On September 27^th to 29^th this year, our partners from the Beautiful Science Foundation organized the usual Researchers' Night in Burgas, Vidin, Montana, and Sofia. These are a series of events presenting scientists and science to the public, in which we, from the Center for Research and Analysis, have actively participated since 2013. One of the impressive meetings with citizens of all ages, named Young Science Ambassadors in the Mall, took place between 14:00 and 18:00 at MALL SOFIA

There, our young ambassadors Zlatan Dimitrov and Deyan Yalamov presented our projects:

• COALESCE – creating a European platform and local centres providing tools, recommendations, and specialized training aimed at quality and effective interdisciplinary communication between all key participants in education and science.
• MR. GoodFish 3.0 – expanding and upgrading the Application Mr. Goodfish platform to become part of a powerful pan-European campaign for responsible use of marine and freshwater products as healthy foods for humans.
• Chips of Europe – creating a suitable environment for preparing specialists necessary for maintaining and developing microelectronics in Europe by developing and implementing a communication strategy to provoke greater interest among young people in STEM education and careers.

Both Zlatan and Deyan are specialists not only in the topics of the projects but also have the skills to communicate with citizens of all ages, presenting the topics in a correct, understandable, and entertaining way. Zlatan Dimitrov holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and information technology from the Technical University of Vienna and a master's degree in electromagnetism, nuclear fusion, and space engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He is currently a young scientist at Sofia University, where he is involved in modelling the ICT sector in labour market by using machine learning algorithms and working with big data. Deyan Yalamov is a bachelor's student in business administration at Sofia University, with experience in creating mobile applications and educational games for general education and cultural-historical heritage.

Visitors were intrigued by the opportunity to "touch" chips, usually invisible inside computers, phones, washing machines, air conditioners, and refrigerators (Chips of Europe project), play the classic system-dynamics game Fishbanks Game, and discuss the issues of managing renewable resources, the subject of the MR. GoodFish 3.0 project. Fishbanks was created in 1974 based on the ideas from the book "The Limits to Growth" by Donella Meadows and colleagues (1972). Initially a board game, today it also has a computer version that tracks the development of Atlantic cod fishing in the northwest Atlantic Ocean and, in addition to providing useful information, also offers a competitive element.

These fun and informative meetings between science communicators and citizens benefit both sides. Citizens, especially young people and girls, learn how attractive different sciences are and how dependent our daily lives are on science and technology, and their achievements - from electronic games to space. Communicators, on the other hand, learn what sparks interest and how to present it attractively.

There are more events and meetings with you to come on each of the three projects. Follow us here and on Facebook for not missing anything interesting!