Nearly 50 teams from across Germany took part in the MINTchallenge (MINT is the German term for STEM). They were deemed particularly exemplary and innovative by the jury. The editorial team is pleased that they can add to the Science Blog with the title “outstanding” and the MINTchallenge logo in the future. “We are bound by the fascination for science and the desire to write,” says Ronja Gronemeyer. The physics student has been a member of the editorial team for several months now and was responsible for the application. “We take a look behind closed laboratory and institute doors and share our insights with a diverse groups of readers.”
Creative and Vibrant
The science blog presents research topics from the University of Bremen to a broad audience and the students and early-career researchers are successful in explaining complex matters in a clear and concise way. The science blog platform is open to all university members. The editorial team provides support from the creation of a first idea to the publishing of the articles and is happy to welcome guest authors and editorial help.
“Sciences Thrives on Dialogue and Critical Discourse”
This is how several articles have already been written within the framework of the Process-Oriented Material Research master’s degree. One of the main topics of a class on research processes is scientific communication. “With the science blog, we are incorporating writing as a form of communication in STEM training,” says Dr. Hanna Lührs, who has been supporting the project with funds from MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes since the end of 2020. “Students and doctoral students tell us about their extraordinary projects and interesting research work at the University of Bremen. This is how we they give STEM disciplines a personal voice.” MAPEX spokesperson Professor Kurosch Rezwan is also a fan of the format: “Science thrives on dialogue and critical discourse. The blog is a great means of making out research topics accessible to a larger target group and receiving feedback. That is why I, as the MAPEX spokesperson, support the project.”
Editorial Team Is Planning ScienceBlogcast
With the MINTchallenge prize money of 2,000 euros, the editorial team wishes to take part in Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation and organize a further training unit and a night of writing. 2021 is therefore the year for the science blog to really get going. There are certainly enough ideas: For example, the ScienceBlogcast is to add to the format. Thus, one will not only be able to read the articles but also listen to them.
In the fall, the science blog of the university will celebrate its fifth birthday. The blog was established in 2016 by Dr. Annika Rodenhauser as an initiative of the Writing Centre for the STEM Disciplines at the University of Bremen. The former university staff member created the blog as part of the “ForstAintegriert” project that is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Annika Rodenhauser now researches and teaches at the Leuphana University Lüneburg, where she also leads a science blog as part of a seminar.
What is the MINTchallenge?
With the MINTchallenge, Club MINT – a Stifterverband initiative – is looking for ideas that innovatively form and further develop STEM education in Germany. The winning projects are used as best practice examples for other STEM participants as a form of inspiration. This now includes the Bremen project, which was successful in the third MINTchallenge with the motto “STEM in Dialogue – New Paths in Science Communication” (“MINTeinander im Dialog – Neue Wege in der Wissenschaftskommunikation”).
Further Information:
- https://club-mint.org/mintchallenges/ (in German only)
- https://blogs.uni-bremen.de/scienceblog/en/
- https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/mapex
- You can contact the Science Blog editorial team at sciblogprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
Contact:
Ronja Gronemeyer
MINT Science Blog, MAPEX
University of Bremen
Email: ron_gro@uni-bremen.de
Dr. Hanna Lührs
MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218 64580
Email: mapexprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
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