MCAA members bring science to life across 7 countries and 15 cities for the Mediterranean Researchers’ Night

On September 26, 2025, Mednight will celebrate the Mediterranean Researchers’ Night (MEDNIGHT), and MCAA members will be out in force! Across multiple venues, they’ll join forces to bring science closer to the public through exciting, hands-on activities and inspiring conversations.

MEDNIGHT is launching activities in 7 countries: Italy, Türkiye, France, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Tunisia, involving more than 800 researchers and an expected audience of over 15000 people. The initiative, funded by the European Commission through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions of Horizon Europe, is part of the 20th anniversary of the European Researchers’ Night, which this year brings together more than 460 cities across the continent. MEDNIGHT will take science beyond laboratories, bringing it into the streets, hospitals, beaches, schools, and even small Mediterranean islands, with a rich and diverse program of workshops, performances, exhibitions, and interactive activities for all audiences. At its core, MEDNIGHT promotes the concept of Mediterranean Science, a vision of research that connects cultures and communities across the sea. The project also emphasizes inclusion, ensuring science reaches people in areas often underserved by outreach. 

In Toulouse, hospitalized children will experience immersive virtual reality journeys inside the human heart and take part in interactive cycling experiments to learn about cardiovascular health. In Montpellier, more than 160 researchers will animate 65 activities including children’s science games, debates on the environment, exhibitions on women’s health, and “speed-meetings” where the public can ask scientists anything.

In Almería, visitors will explore concentrated solar power with working models, join a blind tasting of desalinated water, and learn how advanced technologies can recycle wastewater for agriculture and industry. In Madrid, CIEMAT will open its laboratories for guided tours and host a large outdoor science fair at Dehesa de la Villa, where families will meet researchers and join experiments under the trees. In Elche, Orihuela, Tabarca and Alicante, schoolchildren will discover nanoscience, quantum physics, and artificial intelligence through hands-on workshops, alongside an open-air theater performance that blends science and the arts. In Valencia, the Colomina Palace will host an uninterrupted programme from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm, in which citizens and researchers will share experiences in a close and fun way.

In Messina, over 300 researchers will fill the university courtyard with 80 activities: from games that recreate Mesopotamian writing and sports, to talks by the Italian Space Agency and the National Institute for Astrophysics on space exploration.

Across the Greek islands (Lesvos, Lemnos, Samos, Chios, Syros, Rhodes), science will merge with cultural heritage: food and microbiology workshops, underwater robotics, earthquake simulations, star-gazing nights, and discussions on sustainability. In Xanthi, families and students will explore physics and chemistry experiments, interactive robotics, coding, and astronomy workshops in public squares and schools. In Nicosia, the public will discover how tiny molecules in food communicate with our gut bacteria in an interactive microbiome workshop, and families will enjoy hands-on experiments with dry ice.

In Monastir, visitors will explore the challenges of climate change through science experiments and discussions on global warming and ocean acidification. In Istanbul, schools will host up to 30 workshops and exhibitions, including talks by women researchers, experiments for students, and activities designed to inspire the next generation of scientists.

The Mednight consortium includes: Università degli Studi di Messina (Coordinator), CIEMAT, MUDIC, Marie Curie Alumni Association, Genopolys, CHU Toulouse, SciCo Greece, Athena RC, SciCo Cyprus, Monastir Science Palace, EWORA, Kadir Has University, CEU-UCH and El Caleidoscopio, together with numerous local and European collaborators.

More information and the full program of activities at: www.mednight.eu