Dotik European Training School
for Young Scientists and Museum Explainers
Trieste, August 28 - September 2, 2006

The Dotik training school is a European masterclass for explainers in science centres and museums. It is aimed at enhancing the role of explainers in promoting the dialogue between science and society.

Home • The programme • The speakers • The participants

Andrea Bandelli
Cultural entrepreneur, The Netherlands
www.bandelli.com
Andrea Bandelli is an independent advisor on science communication initiatives. After working for new Metropolis in Amsterdam (now ‘NEMO’) from 1995 to 1999, he became manager of the Science Learning Network, a worldwide online community of educators, students, schools, science museums and other institutions pursuing a new inquiry-based science education model.
From 2000 to 2004, he was project manager of BIONET, a virtual collaborative exhibition on the life sciences, and he is currently leading DECIDE, a project to encourage democratic activities in science centres and museums. He has been a consultant for various institutions in Europe and the USA, and for the national research organisations of Brazil and South Africa.
His articles on public engagement with science and informal learning have been published by the Nobel Foundation, the Science Museum in London and in several journals. He was a board member at the Wellcome Trust’s ReDiscover fund, and is currently a trustee of the Next Generation Foundation in London.

Massimiano Bucchi
Università di Trento - Observa Science in Society, Italy
www.soc.unitn.it/sus/mb.htm
Massimiano Bucchi (Ph.D. European University Institute, 1997) is Professor of Sociology of Science at the University of Trento, Italy. He has published six books, including Science and the media (London and New York, Routledge, 1998) and Science in society. An Introduction to Social Studies of Science (London and New York, Routledge, 2004) and several essays in international journals such as Nature, Science, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, New Genetics and Society, and Public Understanding of Science. He is a member of the International Scientific Committee for Public Communication of Science and Technology and has served as advisor for several international research and policy bodies, including the Royal Society, the NSF and the European Commission. He has carried out research and given seminars at several institutions, such as the Royal Society Universität Bielefeld, ETH Zurich, London School of Economics, University of California Berkeley, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, University of Tokyo and received several recognitions for his work, including the Mullins Prize awarded by the Society for Social Studies of Science and the Lelli prize for the best dissertation in sociology. He chairs the scientific committee of non profit research center Observa Science in Society (www.scienceinsociety.eu).

Orna Cohen
Director, Orna & Co Ltd, Exhibition Design – Paris, France
www.orna-co.com
After benefiting from a broad and varied educational palette (psychology, educational science and dramatic arts) Orna Cohen went on to design and implement over 5,000 sq m of exhibition space world renown at the Cité des Sciences et de l'industrie in Paris as "Cité des enfants", “Electricity what behind the socket?” or "Desire to learn". She is in her element designing interactive systems which immerse visitors in the exhibition experience and help enhance their understanding of the world around them. In recent years, she has focused on society-related themes by developing experiments which challenge visitors to reflect on themselves and how they relate to others. In 2004, Orna Cohen was made a "Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French gouvernement. She founded her own company in 2005 and has already produced several exhibitions abroad (Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, Mexico…)

Francesca Conti
Graduated in Biology at “La Sapienza” University of Rome, she obtained an MA in Communication of Science at the International School of Advanced Studies in Trieste (Italy). Since 1998 she has been involved in several initiatives in the fields of the communication of science and research. She spent a period of research at the Science Centre At-Bristol (Bristol, UK). Her research projects concerned the evaluation of exhibits and exhibitions with a view to understanding the public response to the hands-on activities. She is currently working in the journalism and publishing sector at Zadigroma news agency. Her present interest is in the field of the communication of science in museums and planning of communication projects, magazines, newsletters, websites, brochures for Ministries and public or private bodies as well as editorial consultancy service.

Sally Duensing
Visiting Professor, Department of Education and Professional Studies, King's College London
Sally Duensing is currently an independent consultant working on exhibition projects and research in areas of science and society programs as well as relationships of cultural context and the design of informal science learning environments. She is also working with graduate students and post docs in the Center for Informal Learning and Schools (CILS), at King's College London. In 2000 she held the Collier Chair, a one-year invited professorship in the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Bristol, UK. Prior to this, for over 20 years she was at the Exploratorium in San Francisco where she developed connections between centers, museums and scientific communities and directed a variety of exhibition projects primarily in fields of perception and cognition including a large exhibition on biological, cognitive and cultural aspects of human memory. Duensing's first position at the Exploratorium was as an explainer for visiting school groups. Her most recent publication is Culture Matters: science centers and cultural contexts in the 2006 Informal Education Reader, Peter Lang Pub.

Philippe Galiay
DG Research, Science & society directorate, Scientific Advice and Governance Unit
After an initial training as a mechanical engineer, Dr Philippe Galiay got in 1984 a PhD in physics from the University of Strasbourg in the field of holography. After various experience in research, teaching and international technology transfer with Asia, he worked during 5 years for a French Regional Council (Pays de la Loire), promoting European and interregional cooperation in research.
He joined DG Research in the Commission in 1996 on the coordination between research and regional Community policies. He participated to the creation of the Science and Society Directorate and to the preparation and launching of the White Paper on Governance and the Science and Society Action Plan in 2001. He is actually in charge of the project portfolio of the Unit RTD-C2 dealing with Scientific Advice and Governance.

Cristina Fernetti
Immaginario Scientifico, Trieste, Italy

Cristina Fernetti was graduated in Biology at the University of Trieste where discussed also her PhD in Biochemistry. For seven year she worked in biochemistry research field, first at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Trieste and than at the Centre for the Study of the Liver (Area Science Park, Trieste, Italy) as senior scientist. In 2002, as helper, she started her collaboration with Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre where she move as member of permanent staff in 2005. At the moment she works at the didactic dept of the Science Centre, with the role of explainer and supervisor relating to biological and chemistry demonstrations. She is also involved in the Dotik project as explainer and coordinator for one of the partner (the Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre).

Ondia Gillette
Project Manager, CitizenScience, At-Bristol, UK

Ondia Gillette is Project Manager for CitizenScience At-Bristol, a project that engages young people in debate and discussion about contemporary bio-medical science issues and is supported by the Wellcome Trust. Ondia is also involved in Continuing Professional Development opportunities for teachers through the Science Learning Centre in the UK as well as using media as a stimulus to engage young people in science and science issues.

António Gomes da Costa
Director of the Education and Communication Department, Pavilion of Knowledge, Lisbon, Portugal
António Gomes da Costa was born in 1959, studied Biology at the Faculty of Sciences and technology of the University of Coimbra. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from the same University. He was Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Coimbra from 1996 until 2000. In 2000 he was invited into the Ciencia Viva team, where he has been responsible for the development of a network of science centres.
Presently he is Director of the Education and Communication Department at the Pavilion of Knowledge - Ciencia Viva and coordinates several initiatives in the area of public awareness of science and technology.

Miha Kos
Hisa Eksperimentov, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Miha Kos was born on 1962 in Slovenia. He defended his PhD thesis >MRI in
Earth's magnetic field< in 1992. He worked as the assistant professor in the
Physics dept. at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. He worked as postdoc
in Albuquerque, USA. After returning to Slovenia it was his idea to
establish the first >hands-on< science centre in Slovenia. The centre was
established in 1996, the first permanent premises were gained in 2000. Since
1996 he is the director of the centre. He is also author of several science
popularisation TV shows, four science on stage shows and several hands-on
exhibits.
Besides he is the chief editor and co-owner of the children's magazine for
curious children for 13 years.

Guglielmo Maglio
Fondazione Idis, Città della Scienza, Napoli, Italy

Born in Piano di Sorrento, 4 April 1968. School Training: Degree in Natural Sciences (Università di Napoli Federico II) Professional experiences and activities in the field of science communication.
Anthropological and Zoological researcher in Italy and abroad.
Has previously worked in the Science Centre Città della Scienza as manager of the explainers department, and collaborator to the project of the permanent exhibition "Life Evolution", and as local responsible for the 5th FP OCEANICS European project. Today working for Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza, as responsible for science and society projects. Direct involved into the following 6th FP European projects: NanoDialogue, DeCiDe, EuEv.

Federica Manzoli
ICS – Innovations in the communication of science, SISSA, Trieste, Italy

Federica has a Degree in Communication Science, with an emphasis in mass comunications studies.
After the Master in science communication at Sissa, she collaborates with the research group Ics (Innovations in the communication of science) on the perception and images of science. In the same institution, she teaches at the master course Science communication: key studies and collaborates to the European project Dotik – European Training for Young Scientists and Museum Explainers. For this project, she is in charge of the qualitative research with a focus on the self-perception of explainers and their role in the science centres. She is scientific partner of the European project Gapp – Gender Awareness Participation Process, where coordinates the methodological aspects.
Since 2000, she works as free lance qualitative researcher at marketing research institutes.

Rebeca Medrano Arnaez
AT-Bristol Science Centre, Bristol, UK
Rebeca Medrano Arnaez is currently one of the Learning Communicators in At-Bristol, a unique destination bringing science, nature and art to life.
Rebeca studied History of Art at Zaragoza (Spain) and Plymouth (UK) Universities, where she graduated with first class honours. She is a qualified teacher (Pamplona University) and has broad experience of working in education in formal and informal settings.
She gained a Masters in Museum Studies (with the special option in education and communication in Museums) at the Department of Museum Studies, Leicester University (UK) and is currently enrolled in the AMA programme, a two-year professional training scheme of the Museums Association, specialising in early years and evaluation of learning in museums.
Rebeca has worked in museum education for the last five years, including At-Bristol (Bristol), the V&A Museum of Childhood (London) and Tate Britain (London) and has broad experience of working with families, school groups, young people and children with physical/learning disabilities and ethnic minorities.

Matteo Merzagora
ICS – Innovations in the communication of science, SISSA, Trieste, Italy
ics.sissa.it; www.merzagora.net
Trained as a physicist, Matteo teaches at the Master in Science Communication, SISSA. Currently based in Paris, he works as a free lance science journalist (Radio 24, Il Sole 24 Ore),as a consultant for science museums (Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Palais de la Découverte, Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali) and science communication projects (EuroPAWS). At the ICS group at SISSA, he contributes to the research areas on radio (as project manager of the project SCIRAB - Science in Radio Broadcasting) and science museums (as scientific leader of the project DOTIK – European training for science museum explainers). He is author of 4 books on science communication: with Sylvie Coyaud, Guida ai musei della scienza in Europa (UTET, 1999), with Federico Pedrocchi, Dove vanno le macchine (Ed. Le Vespe, 2000); with Elisabetta Tola and Marzia Mazzonetto Science in radio broadcasting (Polimetrica, 2005); and Scienza da Vedere. La scienza e gli scienziati sul piccolo e grande schermo (Sironi, in press).

Mikko Myllykoski
Experience Director, Heureka, Vantaa, Finland
Mikko has been working at Heureka - The Finnish Science Centre since 1990 as exhibit planner and project manager, mostly for touring, temporary exhibitions. By training Mikko is a historian. He aims to create interactive approaches for humanities and widen science-technology topics with surprising interdisciplinary perspectives. At Heureka he has contributed to the following exhibitions: Finland 75 years, Crime and Fake, Nordic Explorers, Image alive!, Me and you, Flight! and Music. For Heureka's hemispheric Verne Theatre he made the script for the show about Italian Renaissance. At the moment Mikko is working on an exhibition project about ends of the world.

Paola Rodari
SISSA – Medialab, Trieste, Italy
Paola Rodari teaches Museums Studies in a Master in Science Communication (SISSA, Trieste, Italy; http://mcs.sissa.it) and is a senior researcher of the ICS (Innovation in the Communication of Science) group (http://ics.sissa.it). For the SISSA medialab srl Paola works as content developer and project manager for new science centres (last achievements: Apriticielo, Planetarium and Museum of Astronomy, Torino, Italy; CroMa, Crotone Mathematics, Museum of sciences of Crotone, Italy), and organizes training courses for science explainers. She has assisted the creation and now is the scientific leader of the Museo del Balì, an Italian science centre (http://museodelbali.org).

Federica Sgorbissa
ICS – Innovations in the communication of science, SISSA, Trieste, Italy

Luka Vidic
Hisa Eksperimentov, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Luka Vidic was born in 1978 in Slovenia. He comes from the first Slovenian "hands-on" Science Centre called
Hiša eksperimentov (The House of Experiments), where he is the activities
editor. He graduated in educational physics in 2002 on the Faculty of
Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana, where he continues his post-graduate
course.
His main fields of interest include public communication of science, playing
with the "kitchen experiments" and physics of fluids.

Rachel Willis
Head of Learning, At-Bristol, UK

Rachel is Head of Learning at At-Bristol science and biodiversity centre in Bristol, UK. She has worked in this exciting centre since its opening in July 2000, starting as a member of At-Bristol’s first Explainer team.
Rachel’s academic background is in zoology and ecology, and she has developed and delivered several biodiversity and environmental education programmes, particularly linked to Wildwalk-At-Bristol and the IMAX theatre. In addition to managing At-Bristol’s learning programmes and events, Rachel is also currently working in the ALTER-Net project; a pan-European network of excellence in biodiversity, the DeCiDe project (Deliberative Citizens debates in European Science Centres) and the DOTIK project.