Press statement
Two days prior to the Vienna March for Science on April 22, 2017 – one of 500 marches worldwide on this day – the organization team presented a prognosis on the number of participants, the program and speakers.
“Together for science”: Hundreds of people may follow this call of the Vienna March for Science – as one of over 500 marches worldwide on that day – on next Saturday into the Viennese City center. “Since middle of march, we registered around 150.000 contacts in social media and on our homepage. Additionally, we expect delegations from the federal provinces and from the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union, which will start a day later in Vienna with 12.000 participants”, said Head of the organization team, Oliver Lehmann. With a strong support of almost all Austrian universities, research institutions, with the universities of applied sciences and teacher training colleges, with the Austrian students representative council as well as science-affine networks, the March swiftly became together with it’s goals a topic of public awareness.
Vienna March for Science will walk from Sigmund-Freud-Park (U2 Schottentor) through the City center up to Maria-Theresien-Platz, directly in the middle of Kunsthistorisches and Naturhistorisches Museum (U2/U3 Volkstheater).*
Starting point is Sigmund-Freud-Park, where participants may attend a „Science Picnic“ from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. Scientists are invited to present their research with experiments and short talks. One of those will be Bernhard Weingartner with his Science Mobil as well as the ScienceCenter-network with selected exhibits.
The march will end on Maria-Theresien-Platz at 4 p.m. Here, scientists will explain in short statements, why facts, reasonable arguments and open-mindedness are fundamental for science as well as democracy and therefore need to be respected and protected. The final event will be hosted by Science Busters Elisabeth Oberzaucher and Martin Puntigam.
*Exact route: Sigmund-Freud-Park, Schottengasse, Freyung, Am Hof, Bognergasse, Tuchlauben, Brandstätte, Stephansplatz, Wollzeile, Zedlitzgasse, Coburgbastei, Schellinggasse, Walfischgasse, Philharmonikerstraße, Augustinerstraße, Michaelerplatz , Heldenplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz
Speakers at the final event will be:
Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger
Vize-president of Universities Austria uniko
Rector of Vienna University of Economics and Business
Catherine McKenzie
PhD student at IST Austria
Anton Pelinka
Professor of political sciences and nationalism studies, Central European University, Budapest
Nuno Maulide
Professor of Organic Synthesis at the Institute for Organic chemistry at Vienna University
Christine McEntee und Hans Thybo
McEntee is executive director of the American Geophysical Union, Thybo president of the European Geosciences Union
Oliver Lehmann
Head of organization team and chairman of Club of Education and Science Journalists, Vienna
Helga Nowotny
First signer of the Vienna March for Science call
Head of ERA Council Forum Austria
President of European Research Council 2010-2013
Choir Gegenstimmen
Musical accompaniment
Further questions:
Oliver Lehmann
Head of organization team
www.sciencemarchvienna.at
lehmann@sciencemarchvienna.at