EURAXESS Science Slam has its 2015 winner!
Congratulations to Vikas Malik (CAS Guangzhou Institute for Biomedicine and Health) who won a trip to Europe in a fierce competition of brave and bright science communicators on Tuesday 27th, in InnoWay's 3W Café.
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A science slam is a scientific talk where researchers compete to present their work in front of a lay audience. Science slam is a way to show the engaging and fascinating side of research to the wider public.
After a welcome European drink, the audience - international research community in Beijing - first saw the slam of Dr Li Yinfeng (Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a PhD in Solid Mechanics) who demonstrated the power of graphene with his basketball "Slam Dunk". Our second finalist, Dr Tonni Kurniawan, (Xiamen University), enchanted the audience with his slam "Creating Value of Unused Thrash for Sustainability: How to Convert Thrash into Cash". Next on stage - and last one before the break - came Ms
Adèle Poirier (Tongji University/l'Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique). Adèle's slam - "Power of Light" - introduced light pollution in Shanghai as a research problem from her point of view as a design researcher.
During the well-deserved break, the evaluation time to assess, compare, contrast kept us busy, together with the swirling waiting staff from 3W, bringing food and energy, reminding us the reasons why 3W is Beijing's prime spot for budding creative entrepreneurs.
After the break, Dr Chen Cheng (Shanghai Second Polytechnic University) stepped onto the stage. He impressed us all with his powerful slam "The Beauty of Photonic Crystals". Last - but not least - came Vikas Malik (based in Guangzhou CAS Instiute for Biomedicine and Health). Vikas is originally from India and previously studied also in Beijing at UCAS. His PhD research in stem cells was compared to the journey of Frodo The Hobbit into Mordor.
The night witnessed a fierce competition among China's next generation of science communicators but in the end the audience decided that Vikas Malik should win a trip to Europe! CONGRATULATIONS! And thanks everyone for a great night at 3W Café!!!
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Pre-event science communication training at Peking University
Design Research, French
Adèle (Tongji University/l’Ecole de design Nantes Atlantique) is a French researcher/designer. Her research focuses on the impact of light on people’s health and behaviour. She also studies effects of light pollution, because "light is a universal element that links all humans on earth".
We asked Adèle why she believes Science Slam is important: "Scientists and designers should work together and blend their knowledge in order to create a better future."
photonic crystal and hydrogel sensor materials
Chinese
Chen Cheng, based at Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, studies nanomaterials and devices for sensing and biomedical applications.
He wants to share his research and let more people know about the beauty of photonic crystals, to win the Science Slam and visit Europe's best lab (Uni of Cambridge) on applications of photonic crystals
Applied Biology and Chemical Technology
Indonesian
Tonni is an Associate Professor at Xiamen University.
With his Slam "Creating value into unused waste for promoting sustainability and generating ca$h", he wants to show that water is a strategic resource and asset that needs to be protected - essential to our life.
Biomedicine and Health
Indian
Vikas is originally from India. After studies in India and Beijing, he is now based in Guangzhou Insitute for Biomedicine and Health of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research is in stem cell biology and genomics.
He hopes that "sending out a message in English will reach a larger crowd than in “science jargon”.
He also adds that Science slam helped him realise how to "use the words that even my grandmother is able to follow" to communicate science.
Solid Mechanics
Chinese
Yinfeng is an Assistant Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a PhD in Solid Mechanics.
Yinfeng wants to win in order to "change the widely accepted opinion that research is boring and scientists are all kind of nerds."
He adds: "We are living in an era of Nano. A current problem of urgent concern to the society is discover the mechanism on how nanomaterials interact with biological systems"
