Local voices with AI citizen voter; Pint of Science Enschede UT Science Communication Club Thursday 19 February 2026

Nowadays as researchers we are increasingly expected to communicate our science to a wider audience, to engage in dialogue with citizens and other actors, or pitch our research for funding to a non-specialist audience. Science communication is an integral part of our responsibility to society. As with any skill, practice makes perfect—and progress is faster when we share our experiences. This is what we do at the Science Communication Club!

The next Science Communication Club will take place on Thursday 19 February 2026 (lunchtime 12:30 – 13:30h) in Langezijds 2310.

Anne Rikhof and Max Winkelmann, EngD and PhD students in Thermal and Fluid Engineering (ET Faculty), joined forces with two other volunteers to bring Pint of Science to Enschede. Pint of Science is an international science festival held every May, where scientists share their research over a pint of their favourite drink. In 2024, it took place in 280 cities across 25 countries on 4 continents. So, we thought: why not Enschede? We organised two events with two speakers each, at the Twentsche Foodhall, drawing 50–70 guests per night. While organising the event was straightforward, promoting it and reaching people outside the UT community proved challenging.

Enzo Campomanes, PhD student in the SPACE4ALL project will share experiences with collecting data about liveability via citizen science methods. Local residents from Deprived Urban Areas in cities in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique could choose which areas they assessed more liveable. These data were input for modelling maps on liveability. How local residents could contribute and other experiences will be detailed as well as pathways to effective visual presentation.

For PhD students: you can earn a certificate of 0.5 EC by attending 5 meetings and presenting / discussing an own example. Pre-registration is not needed. Contact one of the organisers if you want to present. Attendance is free. More information will also be posted on the Science Communication Club Teams site (join with code rwix1bn) which allows discussion.

Other dates in 2026:

• Thursday 19 March 2026, venue Langezijds LA 2405
• Thursday 28 May 2026, venue Ravelijn VIP room RA1315
• Thursday 25 June 2026, venue Ravelijn VIP room RA1315
• Thursday 17 September 2026, venue tbd
• Thursday 29 October 2026, venue tbd
• Thursday 26 November 2026, venue tbd