Festival and Aberdeen

The Festival last came to Aberdeen back in 1963. At that event, leading academics such as Dugald Baird and R.V. Jones led the local line up of lectures. A rich mix of sightseeing tours provided a social dimension to the busy Festival programme. And the highlight of the Young Peoples' programme was a lecture by Dr Magnus Pyke, who many will remember as a leading populariser of science of the day.

In Aberdeen today, there continues to be a rich culture of science and engineering innovation, combined with a track record of public engagement that rivals anywhere in the UK. Aberdeen had the first science centre in Scotland (Satrosphere) and one of the first established science festivals (TechFest). And the University of Aberdeen has spearheaded an award winning public engagement with science strategy, now featuring the UK’s biggest cafe science programme and playing a big role in securing the British Science Festival for Aberdeen.

The Festival will shine a spotlight on the research and innovation taking place in our host region. With its national and international media presence, and considerable online coverage, the cutting edge subject matter presented at the Festival will gain considerable exposure across the globe. There will be opportunities for industry and academia to exploit the profile raising and networking opportunities at the Festival, many of which will be held within our state of the art research and teaching facilities on and off the University's campuses.