NEZINE organises science communication festival- Reverberation: We are Science Communicators

NEZINE is organising a multi-venue science communication festival- Reverberation: We are Science Communicators on October 14-15 for school, college and university students in Assam and other northeastern states with the primary objective of encouraging these young minds to take up science communication as a hobby and a profession.

The festival has been organised in collaboration with the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Tezpur University, the Centre for Studies in Journalism and Mass Communication, Dibrugarh University, Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Mass Communication & Journalism, Cotton University, Department of Mass Communication, North Lakhimpur (Autonomous), Assam School of Journalism and Ellora Vigyan Mancha.

The knowledge partners of NEZINE for the festival are Edugenie, a Guwahati-based education start up by a team of IIT Guwahati alumni which provides hands-on learning solutions through innovative technology based learning environment and Aaranyak, which works for conservation of biodiversity in Northeast India through research, environmental education, capacity building and advocacy for legal and policy reforms.

Competitions will be held, as part of the festival, among school, college and university-level students to help them showcase their skills in Science Photography, Science Cartoon, Science Video Storytelling and Science Reporting. There will be two categories – Class VIII up to Class XII and Diploma/Graduation up to Post Graduation level for Science Photography, Science Cartoon and Science Reporting competitions while Science Video Story contest will be open for all. Any participant, who has been unable to continue his/her formal education for whatsoever reason, will also be eligible to submit entries for the contest. In such case, participant would be required to clearly mention the year and class/course of discontinuation and select the category accordingly.

The last date for submission of entries for all the contests is September 30.

Participants will be able to submit their entries online for Science Photography and Science Video Story contests. For Science Cartoon and Science Reporting contests, the participants will be able to submit entries in both online and offline modes.

Science talk, skill development through hands on activities and workshop, panel discussions, exhibitions will be organised at multiple venues to help the targeted young communicators sharpen their communicating skills and apply them for effective science communication. It is expected that these science communicators will play the most crucial role of utilising the space in traditional media, the convergent media and the new media to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the masses and leverage the media tools to popularise science and promote scientific temperament.

Internationally famed sound designer Amrit Pritam will be speaking on “Science of Sound and how sound is used for communication” as one of the key speakers on the first day of the two-day concluding events of the festival on October 14-15 to be held at Gauhati University in collaboration with the Department of Communication and Journalism, Gauhati University, which is “Celebrating 50 years of media education in Northeast.”

For online submission of entries please click the following links :

Science Photography Contest :https://goo.gl/forms/B6De2gZ9pC802jEZ2

Science Video Story Contest : https://goo.gl/forms/vbfTfoTUglRpK5pH3