FameLab inspired, motivated and developed young scientists and engineers to actively engage with the public and stakeholders.
Effective science communication has the potential to alter stereotypes, create excitement and interest, and ultimately justify public funding for scientific research.
History
The UK is a centre of excellence for science communication and recognises that science accessibility to a non-scientific audience is an ever-growing priority for researchers worldwide.
The FameLab International final was held at the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK from 2007 to 2021. National winners from across the globe flocked to the festival to demonstrate their science communication prowess, engage with other enthusiastic science communicators and learn from UK experts in the field.
Since its inception, FameLab has grown into the world’s leading science communication competition.
The partnership with the British Council began in 2007 and has seen the competition go global, with more than 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 40 countries taking part in the competition.
FameLab Kazakhstan
The British Council delivered the FameLab science communication competition in Kazakhstan in partnership with Chevron, OYLA and the Science Fund.
Over five years, the competition received over 400 video entries from young scientists across Kazakhstan. Each year, the ten best participants took part in a two-day masterclass in the capital city and then battled it out at the national finals for the title of FameLab champion Kazakhstan.
Anyone between the ages of 21 and 40 working or studying in the field of technology, engineering, medicine, biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics was eligible to take part in the competition.
Winners of FameLab Kazakhstan 2016–20 who represented Kazakhstan in the International Final at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK:
- 2020: Nurlan Suleimenov (Runner-up Shokhista Ismailova presented at the International Final)
- 2019: Salima Davlidova
- 2018: Galymzhan Tleboldinov
- 2017: Artur Saudabayev
- 2016: Dana Akilbekova
Materials
You will find a toolkit for developing science communication skills in the ‘Downloads’ section below. The toolkit consists of six units and is designed to help students develop core communication skills and enable them to tell science stories. The toolkit is for both teachers and students. Activities have been created to allow students to work independently but also in collaboration with their teacher.
The toolkit is available for download in PDF format in English, Kazakh and Russian.
Partners
FameLab Kazakhstan was organised in partnership with the JSC Science Fund and the science magazine OYLA, with the generous support of Chevron Kazakhstan. The FameLab International Final was co-produced by Cheltenham Science Festivals and the British Council.
- Cheltenham Festivals
Cheltenham Festivals is the charitable organisation behind the town’s internationally acclaimed Jazz, Science, Music and Literature Festivals. Through cutting-edge and creative programming, Cheltenham’s four inspirational festivals have been at the forefront of the UK’s cultural scene since 1945. - Chevron
Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. Its success is driven by its people and their commitment to get results the right way – by operating responsibly, executing with excellence, applying innovative technologies and capturing new opportunities for profitable growth. Chevron was the first major Western oil company to enter Kazakhstan and has created thousands of jobs, provided billions of dollars of investment, developed the local workforce and supported medium and small businesses and local communities. Chevron’s social investments are as integral to its business as production facilities and pipelines. Its commitment to social corporate responsibility for mutual benefit is steadfast and focused on sustainable results. - OYLA
OYLA is a popular monthly science magazine designed for students and their parents, published in Russian, Kazakh and English in Kazakhstan, and in other languages in Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea and Europe. Its content focuses on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines and aims to teach children how to think critically in an accessible and engaging way. - Science Fund
The Science Fund is a national agency that was created to support all scientific and/or scientific-technological subjects in the implementation of scientific research, experimental development, commercialisation projects of scientific and/or scientific-technological activities results which reflect the needs of the real economy.
The British Council’s involvement in the programme came to an end in 2021 but the originators of the FameLab concept plan to continue, so visit the Cheltenham Festivals website to learn more about the future of FameLab.