As I drew back the curtains at a little after 6 am I was greeted by the freezing sight of a typical northern spring morning - a metallic grey sky and a fresh covering of snow. The day was Monday 18th March, the day of the eagerly anticipated annual Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) for Britain event at the Houses of Parliament.
After taking part in a national
competition, I was lucky enough to have been selected to present a poster of my
research to MPs from both Houses in the Terrace Marquee. The SET for Britain
event was the inspirational idea of the late Dr Eric Wharton and has since gone
from strength to strength with the ongoing work of Sue Wharton, the
Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, supporting MPs and a number of
high-profile industrial sponsors.
Fostering dialogue
The aim of the event is to bring together
early-career researchers working in areas of national importance and to foster
greater dialogue between scientists and members of Parliament from both Houses.
The event also gives researchers an opportunity to see the workings of
Parliament first hand and to compete for prizes judged by an expert panel.
I was selected to present my poster
'Catching the Wind', which described low-cost tools for wind resource
assessment*, in the engineering session. After making my way through the snowy
streets of Leeds, I was soon on a train bound for London and doing some final
preparation for the event.
Inside the corridors of power
Before I knew it I was passing through security for my very first visit inside Parliament. Right from the
start, the buildings are incredibly impressive. Visitors first enter
Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the palace and a building which from the
ancient arched wooden ceiling to the enormous flag stoned floor literally
breathes history. I could have stayed there many hours just soaking up the
atmosphere but there was work to be done, starting with a private tour kindly
organised by my MP Greg Mulholland.
The tour was fascinating and really brings
home the historical evolution of our current democracy. A highlight had to be
standing at the Prime Minister's lectern in the House of Commons, I could
almost hear the jeering and cheering from the benches. The main event was yet
to come, so after a quick lunch, I headed poster in hand, through the now
familiar Parliament buildings to the Terrace Marquee.
On to the Terrace
Right from the start there was an
incredible buzz of excitement as 60 researchers, an expert judging panel and a
number of MPs animatedly discussed some of the cutting edge science taking place in the UK. Given the relatively short time period and the large number of
posters to be judged, the presentations were a bit like a speed dating event
- two minutes to describe an entire
thesis.
It was fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable.
After the initial flurry of judging, things relaxed a little and we were able
to have some more in depth discussions including describing my work in more
detail to my local MP Greg Mulholland. The event ended with a prize giving
ceremony for the top three posters.
A forum for the future
Overall the event provided a great forum
for researchers to present their cutting-edge work to those involved in local
and national decision making, and at least in my own case, to foster dialogue
with their own MPs. The setting within the Houses of Parliament also provided
the perfect environment to inspire early-career researchers to continue to push
the boundaries of knowledge and to help shape Britain's future.
It's certainly an experience I will remember for a long time to come!
It's certainly an experience I will remember for a long time to come!
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