The minister of science Holzleitner congratulates: Ivona Brandić is the 500th science ambassador

500 researchers are now involved in the ‘Science Ambassadors’ initiative at schools all over Austria. They give pupils exciting insights into their work, promote understanding of scientific methods and encourage critical thinking. The aim of the initiative is to sustainably strengthen trust in science and democracy. The initiative is implemented by Austria’s Education Agency OeAD.

The minister of science Holzleitner is pleased with the positive response: ‘To strengthen trust in science and thus also in an essential pillar of democracy we need personal dialogue between research and society. I especially wish to thank all 500 ambassadors who, in addition to their research and teaching activities, take time for exchange with children and young people and thus contribute to reducing scepticism about science. My thanks also go to the teachers who make these encounters, which are relevant to democratic politics, possible.’

Growing interest on the part of science and schools

Demand from schools and also the number of committed researchers has increased rapidly in the last two years: in 2024 more than 360 school visits took place all over Austria. Pupils were able to explore a wide range of scientific fields – from climate change, biotechnology and archaeology to music therapy.

The school visits are also a unique opportunity for researchers to talk to children and young people as the 500th science ambassador, Ivona Brandić, emphasises: ‘I am really looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm for my field of research with the pupils. The questions from the children and youths will be a highlight – they often think “outside the box” – which will certainly be exciting for me!’ Ivona Brandić is a university professor of high-performance computing systems at the Department of Information Systems Engineering at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) where she heads the research group for high-performance computing systems. In 2015 she was awarded the FWF START Prize, the highest Austrian award for outstanding young scientists. In 2013 she gained her post-doctoral teaching qualification in the field of practical computer science at the TU Vienna and was appointed professor of high-performance computing in 2016. Her research focuses on sustainable IT, with a particular focus on energy-efficient and resource-saving computing systems. Accordingly, she will offer school workshops on the topic of ‘Sustainable AI’.

Understanding science and building trust

The schools’ enthusiasm for the initiative is reflected in the latest evaluation results of the OeAD. According to the OeAD the teachers particularly appreciate the age-appropriate preparation and communication of the content, the science ambassadors’ enthusiasm for their subject areas and the insights into research practice.

Jakob Calice, managing director of the OeAD, is pleased with the feedback: ‘For many teachers the added value of the visits lies in the fact that the research topics are brought out of the theory and brought to life. This opens up new perspectives on the world of science for pupils, along with a deeper understanding of the importance of research.’

Facts about the initiative

• All school classes from all types of schools all over Austria can take part.
• 500 science ambassadors are available for individual school visits and 212 thematic workshops to choose from.
• The visits can take place in person or online.
• Participation is free of charge for schools.

All information is available at: www.youngscience.at/botschafter_innen