What is ESOF ?
The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) was founded in 2004 by EuroScience, the non-profit grassroots organization of researchers in Europe. It is a biennial meeting designed to offer the scientific community a platform for interdisciplinary and intersectional debate about scientific culture, scientific research and innovation, for and with society. Since its inception, ESOF has become the largest conference of its kind in Europe.
What to Expect at ESOF?
ESOF is comprised of different components:
- The main programme with lectures, seminars, workshops, debates and poster presentations on the latest advancements in scientific research, scientific practice and related policy issues, structures around a series of keynote speakers and interactive sessions.
- An exhibition that showcases the best in European scientific activity and research whether academic or industrial, from both the public and private sectors.
- A public engagement programme in the form of the European Science in the City Festival.
- A wide variety of other meetings, satellite events and networking opportunities.
The Who and What of ESOF
ESOF routinely brings together over 4,500 leading thinkers, innovators, policy makers, journalists, educations from more than 90 countries to discuss current and future breakthroughs in contemporary science. Each conference aims to deliver stimulating content using a wide range of creative and interactive session formats meant to foster a lively exchange of ideas through debate and other interactions.
Originally the hybrid format of onsite and online participation was adapted due to the pandemic. However, it was such as success, that this year’s conference in Leiden has opted to continue the hybrid format since it allows for maximum and inclusive participation and minimizes climate impact.
The 10th Edition of ESOF2022
Past host cities been Stockholm (2004), Munich (2006), Barcelona (2008), Turin (2010), Dublin (2012), Copenhagen (2014), Manchester (2016), Toulouse (2018) and Trieste (2020).
Find out what Leiden2022 has to offer your curious mind here.
Science in the City Festival
In addition to the main conference programme, every ESOF is usually accompanied by a public outreach programme in the form of the Science in the City festival. Traditionally, European City of Science is awarded to one city, that in turn hosts both ESOF and the Science in the City Festival. The festival is an instrumental part from the conference and contains science exhibitions, public hands-on workshops and other forms of citizens involvement that help bring science closer to the general public and generate important exchanges between scientists, researchers and the public.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 884011
