Hei, Norje! Native Scientist workshops launched in Oslo
On the 6th of July, six German-speaking scientists came together to explain their work to school students aged 16 to 18 years old. The workshop took place at the German School Max Tau in Oslo.
Scientists talked about how yeasts are used in research, how cells “drink” through a process called macropinocytosis, how the cellular waste removal machinery works, what’s the difference between a normal cell and a cancer cell, and how ticks cause diseases.
“The workshop exceeded everyone’s expectations. All scientists were stunned with the curiosity of the school students, who really engaged in scientific discussions,” says Viola Nähse, coordinator of the workshop. She adds that “My scope for the workshop was to meet school students which were about to leave school for go on to university. I think they felt inspired to become a scientist. When I was at school myself, I would have liked to meet real scientists, but didn’t have the opportunity.”
All participating scientists have a broad experience from living in several countries and speaking several languages. At the beginning of the workshop, the scientists introduced themselves and their career path. “We wanted to show these young adults what they can do with their lives if they are able to speak several languages,” adds Viola. Her goal is to build up a closer relationship to the German school, to give more students the chance to meet real scientists and help them making decisions if they want to pursuit a career in science. As German is often part of the curriculum at Norwegian schools, these workshops can be also held at Norwegian high schools.
Regarding this workshop, our co-founder Joana Moscoso says that "It's really cool to see Native Scientist go to one more country and working alongside Viola to deliver it was super easy and professional. Last school year, Viola had participated in a German STEM workshops within the scope of the Challenging Assumptions project, which was developed in partnership with Goethe-Institut."
Native Scientist workshops help pupils feel prouder of speaking more than one language and feel inspired to become a scientist. We hope that this workshop is only the first step of a wonderful journey in Norway!
