At the Rüeblimärt, in the lab, in the lecture room or online Different formats for different target groups In 2024, the SNI team once again used different platforms to engage with different target groups, inform them about the nanosciences, and generate interest in the natural sciences in general. At the start of the year, for example, there was a col- laboration with Volkshochschule beider Basel in which research- Sixty high-school students took part in the event “TecDay meets Swiss ers from the SNI network offered participants insights into their NanoConvention.” various fields of science over the course of five days. The year 2024 was also the first time that the SNI took part in the Global Science Film Festival, where a six-minute video on the develop- ment of the atomic force microscope and several current appli- cations was shown to a full house at the Stadtkino Basel movie theater. Researchers from the University of Basel were the target group for a didactics workshop that the SNI team organized and in which Professor Gerald Feldman (George Washington Univer- sity, Washington, D.C., USA) shared innovative approaches to the communication of scientific content. The event tunBasel addressed a young audience, as did the numerous workshops with students from various high schools in Northwestern Switzerland. Sixty high-school students were delighted to attend “TecDay meets Swiss NanoConvention” — “At the Swiss NanoConvention, we’re learning an event organized by the SNI together with the Swiss Academy lots about nanotechnology, which plays a role in of Engineering Sciences SATW as part of the Swiss NanoCon- a surprisingly large number of areas — there’s vention (SNC). The students could choose between various mod- still so much to explore.” ules, in which researchers gave them an introduction to differ- Ylenia und Elinor, Cantonal School ent aspects of the nanosciences. Participants also spoke to SNI doctoral students about their posters and attended an SNC talk — which gave them the opportunity to experience the atmo- sphere of an international scientific conference. To round things off, the students enjoyed laboratory tours, in which they gained insights into the practical work of several working groups as- sociated with the SNI. The SNI team addressed a wider audience through activities such as those carried out on board a train as part of “MINT on the move” or at the Rüeblimärt in Aarau. Here, SNI staff offered children in particular the chance to complete small craft proj- ects and simple experiments. They also took the opportunity to inform the accompanying parents or grandparents about SNI activities and the nanosciences. On board the train, staff had a great opportunity to help children complete craft projects and experiments and to inform parents about the SNI’s activities. We report on these activities and more on our website and through various social media channels — including via videos. In June and December 2024, the SNI published its online mag- azine, SNI INSight, providing insights into different research topics and an overview of SNI activities. Further information: YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3u9XLjv LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3rbYP4s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sniunibas.bsky.social SNI webpage: www.nanoscience.ch SNI INSight: https://bit.ly/4jWHcis Experiments and projects: https://bit.ly/40Uw0Kr tunBasel is always a great opportunity to reach numerous children and young people, to help them perform experiments, and to show them how exciting the natural sciences can be. SNI Annual Report 2024 65