Latest news from Loughborough University
| 27 February 2007 | PR 07/21 |
Join in the fun during National Science and Engineering Week
Loughborough University has organised another packed programme of events for this year’s National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW).
Taking place from 9 – 18 March, the week aims to celebrate science and engineering and their importance to our lives, giving people the chance to participate in science and engineering activities and experiments, and to engage in related discussions in their local area.
At Loughborough the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Engineering
have organised a series of fun and interesting events for schoolchildren
and members of the community.
Sessions taking place include:
- Robotics workshop: The Department of Computer Science will be hosting this session where participants will work in teams to construct robots that can perform special tasks.
- Engineering Surveying: In this session participants can learn about real life surveying, used in construction and redevelopment. It is being held in the Department of Civil and Building Engineering.
- The Magic of Mechanics: Hosted by the Mathematics Education Centre, this session will aim to answer some puzzling mechanical questions, using hands-on experiments to put theories to the test.
- Make and test your own Frisbee: Participants will be able to make and test their own Frisbees in an exciting laboratory experiment organised by the University’s Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering. This session will show through an electron microscope how Frisbees react at different temperatures and why you shouldn’t play with them when it is cold.
- Solar powered cars: This hands-on workshop in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering provides an opportunity to design and build solar powered cars.
- The Future of Manufacturing: This demonstration workshop is split into two different sessions. The first gives an insight into the world of manufacturing using advanced machine tools, whilst the second demonstrates the latest developments in rapid manufacturing. It is being held in the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
- Beat the Teacher: New to this year, in this session a student based audience will compete with a panel of science teachers as they are asked to consider the outcomes of a number of unconventional scientific experiments. Using scientific knowledge, intuition or guesswork, the aim is to obtain as many correct answers as possible.
- Creating a Colourful Life: Specifically aimed at families, this session hosted by the Department of Chemistry provides an exciting opportunity for parents and their children to discover the cool science of colour and get creative, together.
Jackie Baseley, the Science Faculty’s event coordinator said: “This
is such a fun week that the whole family can enjoy. At Loughborough we
love welcoming children onto the campus – not only do they get the
chance to take part in some interesting activities, but they also get
to experience the campus environment.”
Schools, youth groups or members of the community wanting further information
about any of the events should contact Jackie Baseley by emailing j.a.baseley@lboro.ac.uk.
All the events are free and places are booked on a first come first served
basis, so for your chance to take part in a fun packed week of science
and engineering reserve your space now.
An online programme of events can be found at: http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/NSEW/
Ends
For all media enquiries contact:
- Judy Smyth, Loughborough University Public Relations Office,
T: 01509 228697, E: J.L.Smyth@lboro.ac.uk
Notes to editors
- National Science Week is coordinated by the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) and is supported by the Department of Trade & Industry and sponsored by the Economic & Social Research Council.
- Loughborough has an established reputation for excellence in teaching and research, strong links with industry, and unrivalled sporting achievement. Assessments of teaching quality by the Quality Assurance Agency place it in the top flight of UK universities; the National Student Survey ranked Loughborough in the top five among full-time students; and industry highlights the University in its top five for graduate recruitment. Around 40% of Loughborough’s income is for research, and 60% for teaching. The University has been awarded five Queen's Anniversary Prizes: for its collaboration with aerospace and automotive companies such as BAE Systems, Ford and Rolls Royce; for its work in developing countries; for pioneering research in optical engineering; for its world-leading role in sports research, education and development; and for its outstanding work in evaluating and helping to develop social policy-related programmes.