World Science Day happens every year on November 10th. It started as a way of opening up the scientific research and discovery world to engage everybody in current scientific issues and developments — like artificial intelligence or renewable energy. World Science Day aims to show that — although you may not be a scientist or a researcher — science is all around you and is a part of everybody’s life. By making science more accessible, World Science Day is one way in which science can be used to inspire people to study and participate in it.
Its full name is World Science Day for Peace and Development, and this tells you more about its mission to help bring about cooperation between scientists living in places that are in conflict.
World Science Day was started in 2001 by UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It promoted a smaller conference, the World Conference on Science, which took place in Budapest, onto the world’s stage.
UNESCO also sees it as an opportunity to orientate the extended scientific community (including government actors) around shared goals and values, like world peace and the eradication of poverty. By aligning science more closely with social goals, it is hoped that scientists will be empowered to work together for the benefit of all. In their own words:
“As no country can achieve sustainable development alone, international scientific cooperation contributes to scientific knowledge and building peace.”
In summary, the aims and objectives of World Science Day are as follows:
- To raise awareness of how science can contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable global community.
- To advocate for a transnational scientific community.
- To renew interest in science and technology, particularly as a way to benefit societies.
- To draw attention to the challenges faced by the scientific community in all parts of the world.
