Utrecht Science Shops

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Utrecht Science Shops

• Not for profit University Community
• Partnerships

Caspar de Bok - Utrecht University
3rd Living Knowledge Conference Preconference on
Science Shops Paris, August 30, 2007
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Science Shop Basics

• Demand driven
• Listening and asking articulation
• Equal partnerships
• Quality and understanding
• Feedback to science system

Interactive Science Communication
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7 Utrecht Science Shops

• At 4 faculties / 7 departments - Biology /
  Chemistry / Physics / Pharmacy
• - Law
• - Arts
• - Social Sciences

• Established between 1974 and 1988
• Different structures and faculty embedding
• From small advise to PhD

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Utrecht Science Shops

• Financing from Board of University
• Knowledge valorization
• Regional image
• Public service
• Political / social awareness of students
• Financing from Faculty / Department
• Practical education / academic skills
• Research themes
• PR

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Science Shop for Biology

• 2 project co-ordinators (permanent and
  scientific staff)
• 50 advise projects
• 25 research projects
• community based research (CBR) in curriculum
  and outside curriculum
• 30 students

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Science Shop in the curriculum

• Bachelor phase (3 year)
• Compulsary courses year 3
• Optional courses - year 2-3

• Master phase (2 year)
• Master courses year 4-5
• Research project(s) year 4-5

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Education traject

• intro science and society interactions CBR as
  example
• intro in CBR (bachelor) CBR as practice
  interdisciplinary course
• doing community based research (master) CBR as
  goal research project

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Some examples

• Quick scan local air quality (Biology)
• Legislation in name giving (Law)
• Side-effects use of anti-depressives (Pharmacy)
• Emancipation in cycling (Arts)
• Noise pollution in Utrecht-Zuilen (Physics)
• Social cohesion in schools (Social Sciences)
• Contra expertise soil pollution report
  (Chemistry)
• Biological mechanisms behind Legionella control
  (Biology)

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Cost calculation model
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New Utrecht challenges

• Renewed funding structure in 2008- more faculty
  matching
• Integration with SME front office- shared
  services knowledge point
• Merging of 4 science shops- Biology, Physics,
  Chemistry, Pharmacy
• Embedding in curricula- structural position and
  recognition