WHEN SCIENTIST GO UNDER THE WATERAbout us
ABOUT SCIENCEinBLUE
SCIENCEinBLUE Project aims to bring researchers working in the area of underwater science and technology closer to the public, in order to increase awareness of research and innovation.
A consortium of two universities and one SME will show the role of the researcher for the society and economy by giving reference to their worldwide experience, in particular the European Union projects in which their staff has worked in the past such as MSC (Marie Sklodowska-Curie) projects Phypode and Greenbubbles.
In order to broaden the inclusiveness, the objective of the project is to organise at least 140 “Researchers at School” activities visits to primary and secondary schools in seven different regions of Turkey (20 visits in each region) including three regions that do not have access to the sea (Middle, Eastern and South Eastern Anatolia). These regions are characterised by deficiency in investments, an abundance of inland waters are often overexploited in terms of aquatic life and environmental protection but neglected in terms of underwater cultural heritage. The subjects of the researcher’s visits are selected from the topics aiming to fight against these regional deficiencies in particular. The other four regions also suffer from the similar environmental issues but problems related to the marine environment are especially of concern for the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea.
SCIENCEinBLUE will capitalise the former achievements in previous R&I projects such as GREENBUBBLES related to marine citizen science and development of innovative devices to address these issues thanks to the previous experience of Bogazici Sualti Arastirma Merkezi (Bogazici International Research Center), Galatasaray University (Galatasaray University) and Akdeniz University.
Above objectives are in line with the 2030 EU Mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters" aiming to protect and restore the health of our ocean and waters through research and innovation, citizen engagement and blue investments. In addition to that, during Researcher at Schools activities pupils will learn directly from researchers about underwater research projects and marine activities addressing the EU priorities and main orientations such as: Blue Growth, A Europe fit for the digital age and European Green Deal.
During these visits, the project members will also be benefiting from the results obtained in different EU projects related to marine citizen science, underwater cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, underwater physiology, marine protected areas, informatics, robotics, IoT and educational aspects of scientific diving in order to prove that:
- Scientific career in underwater science and technologies is accessible regardless of gender and ethnicity.
- Oceans and their conservation is critical to human existence.
- Oceans are still waiting to be explored.
- Underwater environment is an important playground for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) activities.
- Innovation and economic potential of underwater technologies are important for Europe.
- Underwater research is exciting and highly interdisciplinary.
- The European Union has a leading role in promoting science and science education.
SCIENCEinBLUE Project is also planning to organise two “European Researchers Night” activities, one in Istanbul and one in Kemer on the 27 September 2024 and 26 September 2025 respectively. These two activities will be promoted during the school visits as well as social media and press. They will start Friday morning and will continue the following day until evening. It is aimed that this event provides an opportunity for Europe-wide public and media an opportunity for the promotion of research careers in underwater science and technology as well as the profession of scientific diving.
Consequently the activities of both Researchers at School and the European Researcher Nights, SCIENCEinBLUE is aiming to raise the interest of young people in underwater research and scientific careers as well as the promotion of scientific diving as a professional activity.
SCIENCEinBLUE Project will provide positive impact on project partners and all the target groups to which the project was addressed, i.e. direct participants of the planned events, partner organizations, primary and secondary school students, their teachers/instructors and general public. The qualitative impacts of the project can be observed in six pillars interacting with each other:
Societal Impact : (Raise public awareness) The SCIENCEinBLUE project actively bridges the gap between the general public and experts in underwater science and technology.
Industrial Impact : (Collaboration of industry-academia). The collaborative nature of previous projects like CADDY and ROBOPISCES underscores the synergy between universities/research institutions and industry. This not only gives authenticity to the content but also demonstrates its real-world applicability, thereby promoting aculture of innovation and bridging the gap between academic research and societal needs.
Educational Impacts : SCIENCEinBLUE has set a goal to organize more than 140 visits by researchers to schools in seven distinct regions of Turkey. This effort is particularly aimed at primary and secondary educational institutions. By focusing on issues that resonate with the unique environmental challenges of each region, the project ensures that students gain direct insights from researchers. This interaction deepens their comprehension of key topics such as Blue Growth, the European Green Deal, and Europe's journey towards digital transformation.
Gender and Diversity Impact : (Inclusivity and diversity) The project promotes the message that a scientific career is accessible regardless of gender and ethnicity. Through activities like the Discover diving activity, which ensures equal participation of boys and girls, SCIENCEinBLUE reinforces the importance of gender equality and inclusivity in scientific endeavours. Having the boys and girls from seven different regions in Turkey shows the program’s dedication to including everyone.
Academic Impact : By contributing articles and reviews to journals in the related field, we seek to communicate the core findings and wider implications of our work to a diverse audience. Furthermore, the project's findings and techniques will be integrated into pertinent academic courses, especially those focused on marine sciences, robotics, and STEM education. Additionally, we are planning workshops where domain experts will provide critical discussions around the project's themes. Inviting specialists for these discussions not only enriches the project's academic rigor but also serves as a mechanism for continuous improvement and refinement through invaluable feedback.
Economic Impact : The synergy between Galatasaray University, AKdeniz University and Bogazici International Research Center highlights the project's potential for driving economic advancement. By leveraging the expertise from past European Union projects, the consortium can pave the way for innovations in underwater technologies. Such advancements can spur job creation, foster sustainable tourism, and underline the economic potential of marine research and technologies, especially in regions that have traditionally been underserved or overlooked.
The qualitative impact is based on the primary target audience which is the primary school and secondary school students and the teacher. Below are the target groups that are considered for the SCIENCEinBLUE project:
Participants responsible from the Project Events (Beneficaries): They will all share and gain new skills, improve their knowledge, develop new abilities and build team working skills through their interactions with other researchers from varying backgrounds such as divers, engineers, academics from computer science, robotics, underwater studies.
Partner Organizations: The participants responsable from the project events will spread their new experiences, knowledge and skills in their institutions throughout seminars/webinars held for the academic staff, researchers and grad students. The partner organizations will be more competent in the project target field.