Building Bridges between Researchers and Pupils: Finding Future Chemists through the "Science for Future Researchers: Experiments and Knowledge" Project

Currently, pupils have access to a variety of sources and resources from which they can obtain the necessary information for completing homework, carrying out school projects, or enhancing their knowledge. However, conducting demonstrative or individual experiments, especially in subjects where they are indispensable - such as chemistry – is essential in order to arouse their curiosity, help them better understand processes that take place at the molecular level, and to encourage them to pursue a career in research in the future. To achieve this, chemistry classes must be held in laboratories, accompanied by practical examples. Unfortunately, the laboratories in Romanian middle and high educational institutions have often been converted into classrooms, or the necessary infrastructure is deficient or completely absent. On the other hand, research in Romania is deficient in attracting young talents, with an acute shortage of funding and modern equipment, even though research is a key pillar of a country. The project Science for Future Researchers: Experiments and Knowledge, which received funding from the Romanian Ministry of Education through UEFISCDI, aims to create a bridge between scientists (researchers in the field of chemistry) and students from educational units in the Bucharest-Ilfov area by offering them the opportunity to visit the specialized research laboratories of the project consortium and to participate in workshops, demonstrative experiments, debates or lectures organized right in their classrooms. Although the project is still ongoing, the feedback received so far from pupils and their teachers is positive, highlighting the importance of the practical application of theoretical knowledge acquired in class.