netdays 2003

Given that:

• · in his introduction to the Action Plan "Science and Society" elaborated by the European Commission, Philip Bisquin, Member of the European Committee on Research, affirms "In a knowledge society, in order to guarantee democracy it is necessary that citizens have a certain scientific and technical culture in their initial background, the so-called basic skills. It is therefore opportune to reawaken the interest of young people, men and women towards sciences, thus offering each pupil basic knowledge for an active citizenship as regards scientific options, and on the other side push them to embrace scientific careers";

• · within the framework of the Action Plan "Science and Society", the EC intends to focus on a certain number of new actions with a high Community added value aimed among other things at:
  

  1. promoting scientific education and culture in Europe: in particular by organising on a regular basis large-scale events

  2. enhancing media actions and operations such as Netd@ys - Net week

  3. increasing, according to the guidelines of other European countries, "Science shops" where science is put at disposal of local communities

  4. it is opportune that during the semester of the Presidency of the Council of European Union, European initiatives such as Netd@ys Europe 2003 are given greater visibility and interest in Italy.

For this reason following what has been highlighted above and cooperation agreements with public and private Bodies, the Association I.C.S. International Communication Society, continuing the project elaboration within the framework of Netd@ys, promotes the International Network of Art and Science: expression of human creativity as a dialogue between cultures.

In order to:

• involve the education and training world and in particular headmasters and teachers so that the relationship between art and science (mathematical, physical and natural sciences) is not considered opposed but complementary

• stimulate therefore the unity of knowledge vision so that teaching is really multidisciplinary, above all today that scientific and technological discoveries require greater integration with human beings, with their emotions and expressions highlighted and often understood through art;

• involve young people so that they work out and present projects integrating art and science also in the sector of multimedia theses to be submitted at the end of their school curriculum
  
  The following Bodies propose the International Network Art and Science, expression of human creativity as a dialogue between cultures, within the framework of the European initiative Netd@ys Europe 2003.
  All European and non-European students from middle schools (aged 10-14) and secondary schools (aged 14-18) are invited to participate through the following realisation categories which show the relationship between Art and Science (mathematical, physical and natural sciences):
  

  1. Itineraries in knowledge, historical memory or imagination by using technologies such as CD-Rom, Internet, Multimedia also with the support of scientific and multimedia bodies and laboratories

  2. Multimedia theses presented for the final evaluation at school-leaving exams

  3. Realised short films or graphic representation through storyboard of the idea which is meant to be realised in the short film.

Communication and deadline for the presentation of works:

Competition entry communication: 15 September 2003.
Deadline for the presentation of works - maximum two for each school - 10 October 2003.
Languages admitted besides Italian: French, English, Spanish, German.
Upon receiving the enclosed entry form, we shall send a participation sheet to be sent together with the work.

Awards Ceremony:
An international jury will select the best works in local, national and European events.
Prizes for a total of 10.000 Euro (in euro, trips and multimedia products) will be awarded).

Information:
Associazione ICS
International Communication Society,
P.O. Box 626, 00100 Roma Italy
Tel. 06/70453308; fax 06/77206257;
e-mail: icsociety@tin.it;
website: www.icsociety.net

The project Committee - updated until 15/02/03 - consists of:

• Prof. Eleonora Masini Barbieri, teacher of Human and Social Forecast and Human Ecology at Rome Università Gregoriana;

• Prof. Francesco Maria Battisti, Teacher of Sociology, Department of Science and Society, University of Cassino;

• Prof. Augusta Busico, Presidency of Council of Ministers, Department of Information and Publishing;

• Prof. Giuseppe Colosio, Responsible for the Coordination Office of information systems and statistical data CSA Brescia, Regional Office for Lombardia;

• Dr. Stefano Gorla, ENIS Schools national coordinator