Petrosains Joins Worldwide Celebration of The International Science Centre and Science Museum Day (ISCSMD)

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, today celebrated the International Science Centre and Science Museum Day (ISCSMD) on the occasion of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO’s ’World Science Day for Peace and Development’ and in partnership with the International Council of science centres, science museums, and their networks wordwide.  A total of 40 secondary school students from SMK Seri Garing, Rawang, Selangor were also invited to join in the celebration at Petrosains. 

The ISCSMD was celebrated for the first time worldwide on 10 November 2016 and science centres and science museums wordwide were celebrating it by offering activites based on one or more of the Sustainable Develoment Goals (SDGs) declared by the United Nations.  Building upon the UNESCO’s theme of ”Science for Peace and Development”, the aim of the celebration was to demonstrate the engagement and impact of the science centers and science museums to surrounding communities.  There are all together 3000 science centres in the world which have reached and engaged with more than 310 million visitors worldwide.

All over the world, the day was observed and celebrated to pay homage to the efforts championed by science centres and science museums to engage the public at large in science and to create new ways to proactively address global sustainability while reaching diverse audiences. Among the activities organized at other science centres and science museums worldwide were forum and discussion sessions, exhibitions and science programs which were aligned to the United Nation’s SDGs. 

At Petrosains, the activities in celebration of the ISCSMD were aligned to the Goal 6 of the United Nations SDGs which was the Clean Water and Sanitation.  The workshops and science show offered by Petrosains on that day aimed to educate the public on the availability and sustainable management of water by introducing properties of water, usage of water as well as introduction on sanitation and water purification.   

On this significant celebration, Petrosains also featured the new collaboration initiative with National Geographic Channel’s ”Mars”.  ”Mars” is a six-part series produced by Oscar winning producers, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer which tells the fictional story of Earth’s first crewed mission to MARS aboard the spacecraft Daedalus. In addition to the story, the series weaves in interviews and point-of-views from science and space experts such as Elon Musk, Buzz Aldrin, Stephen Hawking and David Newman.  The series, presented on the National Geographic Channel (ASTRO Channel 553) will premiere globally on 13 November 2016 and as a special treat, a special preview screening will be held at Petrosains KLCC, Kuala Lumpur on the same day.

Among the activities in conjunction with the “Mars” campaign was the on-ground activities at the HotScience area in Petrosains where visitors experienced the “Journey to Mars “ on board the Deadalus mission and were invited to become future citizens of MARS. The experience on Mars was further extended at the Space Gallery of Petrosains where visitors experience Mars’ gravity at 38 percent of Earth’s by going on the anti-gravity treadmill. 

Chief Executive Officer of Petrosains, Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim said, “Petrosains is excited to celebrate the ISCSMD for the first time together with other science centres and science museums worldwide like the Singapore Science Centre; Exploratorium, The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, San Francisco and the Mind Museum, Phillippines.  Many science related activities or projects aligned to the United Nations SDGs are conducted in celebration of the day.  We are united globally in this cause to demonstrate how science centres and science museums play an important social role in practicing sustainable science.”

She adds, ”We are also excited to collaborate with the National Geographic Channel (NGC) on their latest ”Mars” series. We share the same goals with NGC in trying to bring science closer to the public and provide knowledge that helps in the discovery, understanding and appreciation of science, and its significant contribution to mankind. Science governs our lives and it helps us face the realities out there from an educated and meaningful vantage point.”

Visitors who visited Petrosains on that day were accorded with a 10% discount on admission tickets, were able to participate in exciting ISCSMD science show and workshops.  The students form SMK Seri Garing, Rawang who were given a special treat on that day were presented with their Martian ID card at the end of the event.