SOCIETY is a consolidated partnership that, since 2016, organizes the European Researcher’s Night (ERN), in the Italian Region Emilia-Romagna. The partnership includes the local branches of the main National Italian Research Institutes (the National Research Council - CNR, the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics - INFN, The Italian National Institute for Astrophysics -INAF and the Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology - INGV), together with the University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western World, CINECA, the largest Italian center for scientific computing, the communication and management agencies ComunicaMente and Naxta, and the University of Ferrara. Every year, SOCIETY, together with numerous stakeholders, animates activities before and during the ERN in Bologna, and in all the cities hosting University of Bologna’s campuses (Cesena and Cesenatico, Forlì and Predappio, Ravenna, Rimini) and since 2021 also in Ferrara.

The proposed activities are based on the assumption that ERN is a good opportunity for citizens to meet researchers and understand how Europe can support research. Through the years the public interest has been constantly growing. The most important feedback that the public gave us is that participating in the ERN means being able to discover, in an engaging and fun way, how European researchers, active in all sectors of knowledge, work to face and solve the challenges for a sustainable future.

The theme proposed by Society, for the forthcoming edition of ERN (2024 - 2025), as associated event is reACT. We live in times of uncertainty and instability. The pandemic left us with the feeling that our reality can change in just a blink of an eye. The climate crisis is a widely recognized problem, but with the common interpretation that a solution is not possible.

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the even more recent events in Middle East, with enormous displacements of refugees, are a new overwhelming crisis. We believe that a reaction is possible. Not the mere display of anger, nor the complaint offered by conspiracy theory, formally known as "Rabbit Hole Syndrome", but the understanding that problems in front of us are complex, that some deeper knowledge and thinking are needed, and that possible actions can be put in place to prevent, solve, or mitigate our issues.

With SOCIETY reAGIAMO (SOCIETY - we reACT) we propose to promote the understanding of the world we are living in, deepening the knowledge to fight misconceptions, misinterpretations, and false solutions, and promote a shared common knowledge and perspective towards real actions and public engagement. 

Looking at a problem from different perspectives fosters the possible serendipitous realization of unexpected connections and new ideas. A spark can be lit. In a wide and diverse audience of any age, if a critical mass of interested and excited people is reached, then a chain reaction can be started, that will result in a self-sustained citizen engagement.

SOCIETY reAGIAMO wants to promote a renewed relationship between the general public and researchers, fostering shared knowledge, the unexpected connection between different disciplines, and through the exchange of opinions, generating positive reactions. reAGIAMO means "we react'', together, with the contribution of everybody but promoting a proactive attitude. Reactions will be possible only if the new generations are involved and interested in the complexity of our world. We believe that solid support among teachers, educators, and researchers is needed.

The main activities, that will be animated by researchers working in a wide range of disciplines from science, technology and humanities are: guided tours, games like treasure hunts and quizzes, science cafés and scientific aperitifs, philosophical conversations open to the public, lectures and demonstrations held by international experts and by young researchers and many more. Furthermore, virtual contents will be uploaded on SOCIETY social media channels, such as videos, tutorials, demonstrations, short presentations.

The partnership will create opportunities  to let the public interact with the researchers, such as speed dates, speed pitches or TED talk-syle presentations. For the schools, the researchers will propose a list of disciplines and topics on which they are willing to give lectures or interact with students within classes or online. Moreover, students and teachers will be directly involved in the organization of the activities proposed to the general public, making them protagonists of the Night. The engagement of the younger generation - not only within schools’ context - will be favored also thanks to activities such as quizzes, team games like treasure hunts, online gaming. 

During the two Nights, all main venues will feature marked stands where staff will be available to distribute information about the European Union, its functioning and the opportunities it offers to European citizens, students and workers. We plan to involve foreign researchers and students, such as MSCA fellows or Erasmus participants, to  actively participate in the two editions of ERN, to provide their specific perspective on European research. The aim is to let visitors interact with these very young researchers that should share the meaning and value that EU programs had in their lives and in their professional career. The University of Bologna plans to address a specific call to MSCA researchers, through an approach based on the direct involvement of the researchers who benefit from these funding.