PINT OF SCIENCE

FROM THE CO-CEOS

Maria Roitman and Jin-oh Choi

As we celebrate 10 years of Pint of Science in Australia, we reflect on how far our volunteer-powered organisation has come. From our very first event in Sydney with one venue in 2014, through a global pandemic, to several National Science Week events, a revived blog, podcast, and a national festival with 27 venues, 147 volunteers, and 199 speakers in 2024, we have come a long way. 

Our mission over the last five years has been to deliver science engagement, primarily through an annual, national festival, that builds the Australian public’s appreciation for science, contributes positively to combat inequity and negative stereotypes within the Australian science sector, establishes and supports cross-discipline collaborations, and celebrates and champions excellence in the Australian science and science engagement sectors. We have achieved some of this, but there is still more to be done.

The gap between research carried out around Australia and the everyday Australian still exists. And we believe that providing ways for the public to engage with evidence-based research is still a much-needed link to foster curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

Our job is not over, and we hope to be around for at least another 10 years delivering this festival and other science engagement activities.

To date, Pint of Science Australia’s successes have been fuelled by the passion, sweat, and tears of volunteers, who pour in thousands of hours of work every year to run the organisation and all its activities. 

It’s these same volunteers that have shaped the values of Pint of Science Australia. Since our inception, our core values have been focused on including as many people as possible in the festival, particularly those in marginal communities. This is a credit to all the volunteers whose collective values have decided upon Pint of Science Australia’s values. 

Our volunteers have been brought together by their common passion for science and its dissemination. It is this shared passion that has created such a great organisational culture, leading us to achieve so much in the last 10 years. 

We want to thank every single person who has ever contributed to Pint of Science Australia, whether as part of a local festival team, the organisation’s national team, or as an event MC or presenter.

Without you, our science engagement activities, including this festival, would not have been possible. 

We also could not sustain the growth in our activities without our sponsors. Thank you so much to this year's funders and festival sponsors including the University of New South Wales, Latrobe University (Bendigo campus), University of Adelaide, and our collaborative partners during National Science Week: CSIRO, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Your contributions play a crucial role in ensuring that ticket prices remain affordable and enabling us to share fascinating science stories with all who wish to join us in public settings. 

Finally, we thank the audience for coming along to our events and we hope you enjoy this year’s festival as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you. 

Cheers,

Maria Roitman and Jin-oh Choi