Hedgehogs, humans and high‐school science

Abstract

The ‘Lisbon strategy’, adopted by the member states of the European Union (EU) in 2000, aims to make Europe the most dynamic and competitive knowledge‐based economy in the world by 2010. The overall aim is to increase the levels of investment that member states put into scientific research up to and beyond 3% of their Gross Domestic Product. Although this aim will certainly not be met in the expected timeframe, it is noble and important nonetheless. > …even if the members of the EU increase investment into research, it will be in vain if they do not also work to increase the number of researchers However, even if the members of the EU increase investment into research, it will be in vain if they do not also work to increase the number of researchers. Indeed, the current number of researchers per 100,000 citizens in the EU is considerably lower than the figure for the USA or Japan. As scientists, we have virtually no possibility to influence how much money our governments spend on research and development, but we can have a much more active role in making science a more attractive career option for young people—notably high‐school students. Various projects and initiatives in EU countries and the USA have sought to achieve this aim by forging closer links between schools and universities or research institutes. Here, we describe the Cus‐Mi‐Bio (Centre University School of Milan for Bioscience Education; www.cusmibio.unimi.it) project that was developed at the University of Milano, Italy. The project's aim is to raise the levels of interest and enthusiasm of high‐school students for the life sciences, and hopefully to attract some of them to a career in science. There are various negative perceptions of science that need to be overcome when persuading students that it is a worthy career …