A project for promoting research activities
Project promoter and performer: SLORI-Slovenski raziskovalni inštitut
Project implementation period: 2010
The European Commission promotes, since 2005, the European Researchers’ Night. At the end of September, several promotional events take place on a European and local level, dedicated to the affirmation of researching, researchers and their role in society. Within this frame, Slori organises since 2006 a series of events to promote research activities and the researcher’s profession in the field of social sciences. In 2010, these events were organised in Gorizia within the Research Days 2010.
The main event of Slori’s Research Days was a round table on Ethnicity today. To which extent is ethnicity functional for the development of contemporary social communities?, organised by Slori in collaboration with the Province of Gorizia. The participants to the round table were: dr. Rudolf Rizman (Faculty of Philosophy, University of Ljubljana), dr. Paolo Segatti (Department of Social and Political Studies, University of Milan), dr. Sara Brezigar (INV – Institute for Ethnic Studies of Ljubljana) and dr. Giovanni Poggeschi (EURAC – European Academy of Bozen, Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism). The chairman of the round table was dr. Pavel Fonda.
At the round table, the representatives of different scientific, research, cultural and linguistic environments offered their own views on the role and importance of ethnicity in contemporary society. In particular, they verified whether ethnicity is (still) an important feature for the development of social communities. Moreover, the differences were highlighted regarding the perception of ethnic belonging among people of the majority and minority communities.
During the introductory part, Slori awarded several graduation and postgraduate theses. This way, Slori stimulates young perspective graduated experts to continue studying and researching or collaborating with the Institute in specific research projects.
Within the Research Days 2010 there was a further initiative, the research laboratories, organised this time by Slori in collaboration with the secondary school of Doberdò. These laboratories are organised within the long-term and consolidated collaboration between Slori and the school’s environment. The aim of the laboratories is to promote research activities among the younger population and is based on a practical research experience. The students, guided by researchers and teachers, carried out a shorter research task and studied the methods of empirical research, in this case a questionnaire-based one. The laboratories took place from September 20th to September 25th and the results were presented at the end.