European Researchers' Night 2021

For organization of the European Researchers' Night 2021, t he Aletta Jacobs School of Public Health teamed up with food scientists from the University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Science, UMCG and Forum Groningen - the cultural hotspot for current events in Groningen and the largest living room for its citizens – in order to explore our love/hate relationship with food.

Food is all around us, but not necessarily in a healthy way. The gap between knowing what healthy food is and actually eating healthy is growing every day. Because of this, the numbers for obesity and diabetes are skyrocketing every year and people generally feel bad about their consumption intake on a daily basis. Science can help people make more informed choices, to understand and sympathize with their behaviour and to explain our food environment from different perspectives.

We believe that sharing our research is just as important as doing the research itself. That is why Aletta focuses on public engagement and science promotion. With our project our audience will be encouraged to adopt a healthier lifestyle in an understandable and accessible way without being didactic.

The Night's programme consisted of 3 events:

➔ Education program for primary schools : How much do you know about food?

➔ Interactive exhibit at Forum Groningen: 'Let's dish up!'

➔ Aletta’s Kitchen: The Greatest Groninger Food Quiz