Schools across the university work together to deliver successful STEM event

The annual STEM event has been held. It is a collaboration between all of the Schools in the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, together with the School of Biosciences, and St David’s Sixth Form College.

On Friday 19th June 2015 lecturers, teachers and research students from across the College teamed up to create engaging activities for the young people.

On the Queens Buildings site, workshops introduced such concepts as Game Theory, Quantum Field Theory and the causal relationship between science fiction and science fact. Students were given the opportunity to make and test rockets; reprogram the arcade classic Space Invaders; and compete for the best lap time in Cardiff Racing’s Formula Student car simulator.

The students were given detailed information about the range of career pathways in STEM areas, as well as guidance on how to apply for higher education. Throughout the day the students had the opportunity to interact with undergraduate and postgraduate students to get a general taste of what university life is like.

The STEM Conference is part of an ongoing partnership between the University and St David's College, and has been designed to give students a fresh perspective by taking them out of the classroom and into an environment where they can see the impact of science first-hand.

Activities on the day also included a guide to engineering, a lecture on what you can do with a Raspberry Pi, an exploration into how well an ammonite could swim, as well as a range of insights into chemistry, neuroscience, biosciences and physics.

Professor Karen Holford, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the College of Physical Sciences and Engineering, said: "Events like this bring science and technology to life. We want to inspire young people to engage with STEM subjects and working in partnership with institutions like St David's is a great way to do this."