SUSSEX OFFERS NEW SCIENCE EXPERIENCE
People from across the Sussex region will be exploring the breadth of science research on campus during the summer vacation. The Centre for Continuing Education is hosting two summer schools, each of a week's duration, that will give local people the chance to learn about the pioneering science, engineering and mathematics research going on at the University.
The Sussex Science Experience will encompass almost every aspect of the University science research, and many of the courses will involve use of the University's privileged access to some of the world's best research facilities. Participants on the Astronomy course will harness the power of the internet to observe the universe through a California-based radio telescope; on the multimedia computing course students will learn how to produce their own mutimedia applications, and those on the biology course will have the chance to learn the techniques of genetic engineering.
The courses are open to adults of all educational levels. They will involve lectures and discussions, but will also give participants the opportunity to get their hands dirty, taking part in practical demonstrations and carrying out experiments.
"It's meant to be enjoyable and rewarding," says Professor John Murrell, who is helping to organise the courses. "The students should get an awareness of scientific activity and some scientific skills."
This is the first time Sussex has run the Science Experience. Some of the courses will be particularly helpful to primary and secondary school teachers, giving them skills and resources that they can take back to the classroom. Others are for general interest, giving participants a feel for the broad principles of science or a better understanding of a specific area.
Each morning of the summer schools, which run between 28 July and 8 August, will begin with a Keynote Lecture in the Chichester Lecture Theatre. They will be given by some of the University's most distinguished academics, covering topics of general interest from buckyballs to jet engines. The lectures start at 10am and are open to any members of the University community that would like to attend.