The process of designing and developing an interactive exhibition product integrating Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a complementary part of each module of Project Irresistible. “Nanotechnology Applications in Health Sciences” and “Plastic-Bane of the Oceans” are the two (out of three) modules implemented in the 2nd phase of the project in Turkey. Student-curated exhibitions of these two modules were held simultaneously on April 1-2, 2016 at ITU Science Center.      

 

   

“Responsible Research and Innovation in Nanotechnology Applications Exhibition” took place with the participation of 153 students and 24 science teachers from 16 private and public schools. Sixty-four exhibition products of students met with about 200 visitors including parents, academicians, university students, and students from other schools. Products were on application of nanotechnology in many areas including medicine, textile, cosmetics, and astronomy. Visitors had chance to find answers to many fundamental questions of nanotechnology such as what nanotechnology is, what kind of applications of nanotechnology exist, what nanoparticles are, how structures at nanoscale can be visualized, why do size and scale matters, what risks and benefits nanotechnology brings together as well as how RRI can be integrated in these areas. 

  

“Responsible Research and Innovation in the Context of Plastic Wastes Exhibition” took place simultaneously at ITU Science Center.  Sixty-three students who curated a total of 35 exhibition products and 9 science teachers from 7 schools came together with the visitors. Finding solutions for the problem of plastic wastes, rising awareness about the effects of plastic wastes on ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of recycling, starting discussions about responsibilities of countries for such a global problem and many other topic were among the wide-range subjects of the exhibition. When the students were interviewed briefly, they said they became more aware of the  environmental problems that the plastics might cause after becoming involved in this project as well as they started to raise awareness of the people around them towards plastic wastes.  

   

These exhibitions were mostly the first-time experiences of students in exhibiting their interactive products to hundreds of visitors in a science center. Many students explained that these exhibitions contributed them a lot because they not only developed their communication and presentation skills, but also had an opportunity to meet with other students involved in the Project Irresistible and see how the same topics can be processed from different perspectives by examining other’s exhibition products. Visitors were also glad that they were quite engaged in exhibition products, as they learned new content about nanotechnology and plastic wastes in the oceans as well as the 6 aspects of RRI integrated in these contexts.