Science communication center opens in Lugano

The University of Italian Switzerland (USI)’s Ideatorium will open its very own doors on Saturday. A center for science communication, it provides space for science exhibitions, workshops and events for schools and the public. 

On weekdays, journeys into space and brain research are set to engage schoolchildren, while workshops and creative events on topics such as robotics will bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects to the foreground with play, writes a statement. At weekends, the center will be open to the public, with an events and meetings program. With its new forum, which will focus on children, families and schools, the USI plans to have a greater presence in the region and to support dialogue between science and society.

The USI’s Ideatorium has been offering meeting programs since 2005 to bring the public closer to scientific culture. However, the new premises are the center’s first since the City of Lugano gave over its former town hall. Behind the project is the federal program MINT Schweiz, with support from the Science et Cité Lugano foundation and the local education authority. Numerous foundations, local organizations and private people were also involved, according to the statement.