The Science Outreach Office
The Science Outreach Office brings science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Erasmushogeschool Brussel to the general public. Our work fits within the science outreach task, assigned by the government to all university associations. Our team organises various events, runs a popular science blog, hosts social media channels and designs educational projects.
Most of our projects are aimed at a Dutch speaking general audience, you can find our Dutch projects here. We do, however, like to engage our international researchers in our projects as well! The Science Outreach Office has also been active on a European level for many years.
Our international projects
Blogging
Wtnschp.be is our popular science blog, where we bring science and society closer together. Guided by our editor team, researchers take up their digital quill to inform and inspire the general public. They shed light on climate change, the scientific beauty of storytelling, or give you a taste of what it’s like to set up a reindeer study in Scandinavia.
On our blogging page, researchers can find tips and tricks on how to write an article and where to submit a first draft.
For readers, there’s only one way to go from here: Wtnschp.be!
EnRRICH
The Enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation through Curricula in Higher Education (EnRRICH) project will improve the capacity of students and staff in higher education to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to support the embedding of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in curricula by responding to the research needs of society as expressed by civil society organisations (CSOs).
The Science Outreach Office coordinates the contributions of the thirteen European partners in a project that is subsidized by the European Commission in its Horizon 2020 program.
Bright Club
Bright Club is a stand-up comedy night by researchers for everyone! Bright Club started at UCL and has taken the UK by storm. Brussels now too has it’s very own science comedy night! Participating researchers get a short, but intense training with a professional comedian. After their training they get three weeks to put their act together. Expect a professional comedy show in a fun atmosphere!
Pint of science
Pint of Science is without a doubt an international phenomenon. This annual science festival was born in the UK in 2013 and conquered just about the whole world in just a few years. Pint of Science brings researchers to a local café in your neighbourhood, where they present their latest discoveries in understandable “human” language. All you have to do is listen while sipping a regional beer or a triple of your choice. The perfect opportunity to meet the men and women behind science!
In 2018 PoS was organised for the first time in Belgian cities, including Brussels. Since then, researchers from the VUB and the surrounding area give the best of themselves, and you can catch them for some critical discussions at the bar afterwards. Curious about the next edition? Be sure to take a look at Pint of Science Belgium.