FALLING WALLS ENGAGE SUCCESS STORIES

At Falling Walls Engage we build and support a global network of Science Engagement practitioners  who are committed to sharing knowledge, elevating impact, and sharing best practices for engaging the public in and with science. We aim to foster exchange, co-learning, and co-production that can lead to more effective engagement practices, inspiration, and societal impact in the long term.

We see the value in connecting practitioners from different fields and regions around the world. We consider it a great success to see community members engaging, supporting and even shaping new projects and the development in professional work and project, or visibility, after their involvement with Falling Walls Engage. Some of these stories we would like to tell.

FALLING WALLS ENGAGE IMPACT

Since November 2018, the mission of Falling Walls Engage has been to promote Science Engagement initiatives around the world to foster long-lasting exchange and the co-production of transferrable science-based knowledge in order to bridge the gap between science and society.

We have created and highly expanded our Science Engagement global platform with worldwide practitioners, projects and organisations through onboarding and community activities, the Falling Walls Engage Pitches and Hubs, as well as the recently launched World Engagement Map.

“It was really important that Diamonds on the Soles of their Feet was invited to pitch [at the Falling Walls Engage Pitches] as it indicates to donors that we have been on a global stage.”, Jaqui Goldin – Falling Walls Engage Winner 2021

FALLING WALLS ENGAGE REPORTS

SUMMER SCHOOL 2023

In collaboration with the esteemed Hannover Re Foundation, Falling Walls Engage and Falling Walls Lab introduced the Hannover Re Foundation Summer School, that took place from 27-30 September 2023 in Hannover, Germany.

The 4-day intensive programme on Global Solutions for Water Security brought together 40 innovators and Science Engagers from 21 countries fostering knowledge sharing, idea exchange, and collaborative project development.

The course was filled with informative presentations from prestigious speakers and experts, as well as intensive group work. The programme culminated in the presentation of their seven distinct project proposals aimed at improving global water security.

The Falling Walls Foundation, together with the Hannover Re Foundation, is proud to spearhead this ambitious programme that strives to address climate change challenges, particularly in the realm of water security. By empowering innovators and researchers to create impactful projects, we envision a future where scientific solutions transcend borders, creating a more resilient and sustainable world.

Falling Walls Engage Recap 2022

With many impressions, new Engage community members and inputs for the new year, we close the year 2022.

Our Engage community has grown again and thrives as various networks are formed, and multiple barriers to Science Engagement and innovation are broken through collaboration.

In 2022, one of the areas we have focused on at Falling Walls Engage is the challenges of Planetary Health – especially with the formats Falling Walls Engage Hubs and Cascading Debates.

Read the recap of Falling Walls Engage activities and achievements from 2022 here. The main aspects are:

  • Falling Walls Engage 2022 Achievements & Journey
  • Project Scouting
  • Cascading Debates
  • Falling Walls Engage Hubs
  • Falling Walls Engage Pitches
  • Communications
  • Outlook 2023

Evaluation Report 2021

After three years of existence, we have published our first Evaluation Report reflecting on achievements, lessons learned and possible ways forward (October 2021).

KEY RESULTS

  • In almost three years of existence, close to 1300 Science Engagement practitioners, projects and organisations were included in our global platform.
  • We gave visibility to over 500 Science Engagement projects and more than 250 Science Engagement practitioners, as well as over 450 organisations.
  • In total, four initiatives received the prestigious international “Falling Walls Breakthrough of the Year” award at the Falling Walls Engage Finale. A total of 382 applications from 138 countries have been submitted as part this annual pitch competition.
  • 5 Falling Walls Engage Hubs were launched on 5 continents, with the aim of connecting regional Science Engagement communities with the global Falling Walls Engage platform.
  • We have been able to foster and empower a growing community of Science Engagement practitioners through more than 30 activities of community building and Science Engagement promotion.
  • The networking promoted by the Hubs and the Falling Walls Engage Finale led to 32 collaborations established among community members, on the development of existing/new Science Engagement initiatives and exchange of ideas.

Impact of COVID-19 on Science Engagement

Thinking about the impact of COVID-19 in Science Engagement, in order to derive better support approaches to Science Engagement practitioners

The COVID-19 pandemic further increased the relevance of the dialogue between science and society. On one hand, both mistrust in scientific evidence and vaccine hesitancy are obvious reasons why scientific literacy and trust in science are needed. On the other hand, the pandemic also deepened inequalities worldwide, making it crucial to further develop Science Engagement programs that can help educate and empower communities worldwide.

However, also due to the pandemic, the majority of Science Engagement initiatives were forced to shift from physical to online formats, as well as to adapt tools and content to the virtual reality. To have a better insight into the impact of the pandemic in the Science Engagement landscape, as well as to foster the field according to the current challenges and needs, we prepared an open survey that was answered by Science Engagement practitioners from all corners of the world, from diverse Science Engagement areas.

These are the outstanding findings of the survey:

  • Practitioners identified more interest from the public in science topics in general, but mostly in pandemic-related topics. They observed an increased involvement from doctors and scientists of all career levels in Science Engagement activities.
  • The pandemic made very clear, for scientists, the relevance and need of speaking about science to the public.
  • Online initiatives led to worldwide reach, connectivity and collaboration.
    Science Engagement practitioners gained more knowledge on interactive media tools.
  • Online work led to the creation of new Science Engagement initiatives and formats, and enabled reaching out to new target groups.

If we want to know more about the detailed results of the survey, as well as lessons learned and its integration into future activities, click on the button below.

More Pages

Further Activities to have a look at