Since its launch in 2014, the Athens Science Festival has established itself as one of the biggest celebrations of science and technology in Greece!
For one week every year, school children and other visitors from the wider Athens area take the opportunity to explore science in fun, innovative and interactive ways, while researchers, teachers, distinguished scientists, artists and performers give their very best to communicate science and make it part of their audience’s everyday lives.
With the participation of 180,000 scientific associates, 6,500 partners, 900 speakers, 350 artists and 2,200 volunteers since its launch in 2014 until today, the Athens Science Festival is rightly characterised as one of the largest celebrations of science and technology in Greece. And having attracted in excess of 150,000 visitors over the last ten years, the Athens Science Festival has not only achieved its original objectives, but has also managed to broaden them.
Each year, the Athens Science Festival delivers on its promise by connecting science with everyday life and promoting the role of science in society, presenting high quality scientific research carried out in Greece, looking for answers to complex questions and debating controversial scientific issues, inspiring and creating new standards in the scientific field, and encouraging young people to consider a career in science. However, its main achievement is that it has proved to young and old alike that science is not just about learning, but also about having fun.
Watch the short videos below for a taste of previous festivals:
ASF2023 | ASF2022 | ASF2021 | ASF2019 | ASF2018 | ASF2017 | ASF2016 | ASF2015 | ASF2014
Due to the success of the Athens Science Festival in engaging the public with science, the festival has gone beyond the limits of the Greek capital and now takes place in Thessaloniki (TSF), Larissa (ThSF), Patras (PSF), Ioannina (ISF), Limnos (AeSF) and Cyprus (MSF), with other regions of Greece planning to host their own events in the future.
Highlights
Solve for Tomorrow – Teacher training
Wednesday 17 April, 15.30–17.30 | Innovathens
Are you a teacher interested in the design thinking methodology? Join us for a teacher training session organised by the British Council and powered by Samsung Electronics Hellas, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about how you can encourage your students to develop innovative thinking, problem solving, leadership, teamwork and other core skills, and help them discover innovative solutions to contemporary challenges.
Tales of the Sea World by Dr Imogen Napper
Wednesday 17 April, 19.30–20.00 | Miltiades Evert Auditorium
Dr Imogen Napper is a National Geographic Marine Biologist and Explorer. She has been described as a ‘Plastic Detective’ as her research examines various sources of plastic pollution in the environment. In her talk entitled Plastic Detective – Investigating Pollution from Washing Clothes to Earth’s Orbit, Dr Napper will reveal unexpected sources of pollution, while providing solutions to reduce it, based on irrefutable evidence.
Tales of Climate Change – Extreme weather changes by Dr Tom Matthews
Thursday 18 April, 19.30–20.00 | Miltiades Evert Auditorium
Dr Tom Matthews is a professor at King’s College London. He is a National Geographic Explorer and has held lecturing positions at Maynooth University (Ireland), John Moores University and Loughborough University. His interests focus on the social impacts of climate change and more specifically on extreme weather events. Through his own Tale of Climate Change – Peering over the Climate Precipice with Tales of Future Weather – Dr Matthews will explore some of society’s biggest concerns regarding climate change.
Generation Alpha – Panel Discussion
Friday 19 April, 20.00–20.50 | Purifier (ground floor)
Giannis Efthimiou is a Lecturer in the Department of Education at Brunel University London. His research focuses on pedagogical models of Education for Sustainable Development. He is also a teacher educator and mentor trainer. Giannis will take part in a panel discussion on embedding sustainability within the educational framework for the Alpha Generation, featuring groundbreaking strategies and experiences.
Chemistry Show by Hassun El-Zafar
19–21 April | Miltiades Evert Auditorium
Hassun El-Zafar is a science educator and a senior producer at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. He will be joining us at the Athens Science Festival to unveil the magic of chemistry in his two performances: The Explosive Periodic Table on Friday 19 April (09.30–10.15) and Saturday 20 April (11.00–12.00), and The Amazing World of Gases on Friday 19 April (12.00–12.45), Saturday 20 April (13.00–14.00) and Sunday 21 April (13.00–14.00).
ΑΙ For a Green Future – Panel Discussion
Saturday 20 April, 18.00–18.50 | Purifier (ground floor)
Emmanouil Pyrgiotakis is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Essex. His research interests include, among others, AI in finance and corporate sustainability. He is currently working on machine learning applications and exploring the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores and carbon emissions. Emmanouil will take part in the ΑΙ For a Green Future panel discussion focusing on the pivotal role of artificial intelligence in promoting sustainable development and green future initiatives.
Music, Mathematics, and the Heart by Elaine Chew
Sunday 21 April, 21.00–22.00 | Miltiades Evert Auditorium
Elaine Chew is a researcher and a pianist. She is a professor of Engineering in the Department of Cardiovascular Imaging in the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences and in the Department of Engineering at King’s College London.
School visits
The programme is suitable for students from the 5th and 6th grade of primary school, as well as those in junior and senior high school.
| Dates | 16–19 April 2024 |
| Visiting hours | 09.00–14.00 |
| Duration | Two hours |
| Entrance fee | €6 per student |
| Telephone | 210 677 5892 |
| schools@athens-science-festival.gr | |
| Registration form | https://bit.ly/3U7FIXD |
Information
For further information, please contact Nefeli Lappa:
| Telephone | 210 369 2361 |
| Nefeli.Lappa@britishcouncil.org |
The Athens Science Festival is organised in partnership with the educational organisation Science Communication – SciCo, the British Council and Technopolis City of Athens in collaboration with a number of academics, research bodies and educational organisations. The festival takes place under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and the General Secretariat of Research and Innovation (GSRI).