An Investigation of the Children’s University: A New University Outreach Idea in Europe

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  • 大学アウトリーチ事例「子どもの大学」の検討
  • ダイガク アウトリーチ ジレイ コドモ ノ ダイガク ノ ケントウ

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Abstract

This paper examines the principal strength of the Children’s University, a new university outreach idea, and discusses why it has been so widely accepted in Europe. Outreach activities are now required of universities and academics to move from a one-way transmission of knowledge to a two-way exchange of ideas and opinions regarding science. On the other hand, the newly developed Children’s University, where children are given serial lectures on campus from academics, follows the old type outreach idea, which is denied within the recent trend. In despite of its negative position, the Children’s University only took a few years to spread widely across Europe, received an EU prize, and has been publicly granted to establish an organized network. The following points are derived from site visit investigations: 1) the main purpose is to allow children to see and experience universityculture, 2) several “gimmicks” are designed, 3) lecture titles have a specific style with the question “why?” in them, 4) organizers are notactive researchers, 5) organizers cooperate with the mass media, and 6) exposure to mass media and awarding of prizes has sped the propagation of the program. These points are found highly suggestive in terms of future university outreach programmes in Japan.

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