How can we present ourselves in a professional, interesting, and convincing way? And how can we talk about scientific research to an audience outside our field of expertise?
When we talk about science communication, we are talking in the most basic sense about how to communicate our science, how to distill our scientific message and make it accessible to the target audience in the best, clearest, and most interesting way. The workshop is based on a unique combination between the world of the stage and the world of science: tools from the field of acting and theater, including presence, awareness of the body and voice, creating a connection with the audience, improvisation and dealing with the unexpected, are applied here as practical tools for better scientific communication. The stage approach allows researchers and speakers from the field of science to discover another dimension in conveying their message: not only what they say, but how they say it so that it resonates, interests and connects the audience to the research.
About the workshop:
During the workshop, participants will practically experiment with tools from the world of self-presentation and science communication, with the aim of developing the ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, focused, precise and interesting way. The workshop combines experiential exercises, group work, simulations and mutual feedback, and provides practical tools for strengthening confidence in standing in front of an audience, focusing messages and adapting them to the target audience, creating a connection with the interlocutor and dealing with communication situations in the academic world.
The workshop is intended for students, researchers from various fields of knowledge, and anyone who is required to communicate science to diverse audiences and is interested in strengthening their communication and presentation skills and acquiring new tools to improve the accessibility of the scientific message.
The workshop lasts approximately 90 minutes, and is suitable for approximately 20 participants.
About the workshop presenter:
Tal Koren-Sofer is a mechanical engineer, a graduate of the Technion, and an actress and medical clown. This combination of an engineering-scientific background and rich experience in the worlds of the stage underlies her unique approach to science communication. She is currently studying for a master's degree in theater and performance at the University of Haifa. She previously guided at the "MedTech" science museum in Haifa. Since 2009, she has run a business that deals with experiential and unconventional teaching of science and mathematics. Since 2024, she has been a teching assistant in the "Science Communication" course at the Faculty of Science and Technology Education at the Technion.