The Future Options exhibition opened at Gothenburg’s Universeum on 12 April. The exhibition has been produced in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology to promote possible careers and education within science and technology.
“From an academic point of view, we’re delighted with the project,” says Lennart Sjölin, Professor of Chemistry and a member of the project’s steering group.
Universeum aims to have a positive impact on the attitudes of children and young people towards science, technology and mathematics. But even if young people are already interested, they do not necessarily know that they can train to become a scientist, or choose this as a profession. The aim of the Future Options exhibition is therefore to arouse children’s and young people’s curiosity in what education within science, maths and technology can lead to, while also allowing them to try solving the problems of the future within fields such as health, transport and the environment for themselves.
“It’s important to show just how exciting science and technology are, and that as a scientist you can help to solve the social problems of the future,” says Professor Sjölin.
Future Options is an informative, interactive exhibition where visitors can listen to students from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology talking about their own dreams for the future and why they chose to study science or technology. One of these is Beatrice Möberg, who is studying molecular biology at the University of Gothenburg.
“I enjoyed being part of a project that dealt with the different aspects of science in a fun and informative way to encourage children and young people to take an interest in science.”
She believes it is important to attract children and young people to science, and to show just how much of our everyday lives is based on science.
“I’ve seen for myself how science has been made to seem boring or arduous at school, as the teaching is fairly one-sided. Most people don’t realise how multifaceted science actually is.”