The University's Main Building and outdoor area was soon full of smaller or larger groups, families, and organised parties of school children who could choose from almost 100 interesting events.
- Right at the beginning, we mainly invited the city’s secondary schools to the Night of Researchers, although now the range of disciplines and the type of visitors have both expanded. A fair number came from around the region, and we welcomed school groups from Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza, Szolnok, Miskolc and Karcag. The popularity of the programmes is evident in the fact that more than five thousand people came to the University of Debrecen on September 30, - said Zsolt Varga, the scientific director.
- Our visitors ranged from the youngest age group to the oldest, and the event has greatly expanded beyond the university and the city. This is probably due to the fact that every year we manage to expand what is on show, and offer new programs for those interested in science – said Zsuzsa Mándy, the main organizer of the program.
At the event we presented spectacular chemical experiments, we introduced physicists, we could see the wind tunnel and the flowing water lab “at work”, but there was also a mathematical playhouse, growing test-tube babies, and visitors could walk around among the 100 year-old volumes in the secret parts of the university library that are normally closed to them; and there were also innovations to show anyone with an interest in science.
MOL Petrochemicals from Tiszaujvaros, who were attending the Researchers' Night for the first time, gave a presentation of simple household tools in the unusual environment of the Ceremonial Courtyard.
- Although we have been operating as an external department of the University of Debrecen since 2009, it now seems it will be possible to develop a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with the Faculty of Science Chemistry Institute, which will concentrate on helping the practical course - Judit Sóvágó, the team leader, told the unideb.hu portal.
Thanks to the Department of Ethnography you could even get married on this extraordinary night. The popular Campus Festival program was also welcomed by the audience.
- Prospective brides could prepare myrtle wreaths; in the folktivity programme everyone could test their knowledge of folklore, and even their knowledge of herbal plants. Our aim was to introduce some of the basic concepts of folklore – said one of the younger members of the departmental staff, Melinda Marinka.
All the university’s faculties joined Europe's largest science communication conference series on all of Debrecen’s campuses, as well as in Nyíregyháza, and visitors to the Agora Science and Adventure Centre could get a free glimpse - sometimes in a rather unconventional way - behind the scenes of science.
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