Students Get Social with Dundee Science Festival

Published on 28 October 2014

Not ones to shun technology, a group of Dundee students have been selected for a very social work placement!

Five students from Abertay University’s Marketing and Business programme are embarking on a placement with Dundee Science Festival, tasked with creating and implementing a social media plan for this year’s event.  The students taking part are Holly Bryce, Natalie McAdam, Anam Qadar, Nicola Ewert and Joy Ewert.

Dundee Science Festival, which will run from Saturday 1 until Sunday 16 November 2014, is a two-week city-wide celebration of science, providing fun, entertainment, inspiration and curiosity for all ages.  With a new ‘personality’, the festival will host a staggering 112 events this year, twice as many as last year.

Holly Bryce said, “Working with Dundee Science Centre gives us the unique opportunity to engage with a real business and put theoretical knowledge that we learn in classes into practice. This placement presents us with a chance to work in a group with new people who are at different stages in their degree, with different personalities and points of view.  Working in live business situations allows us to network with influential people in the marketing world and build up real life experience for our CVs.  By working outside of our comfort zones, we are able to build our confidence and gain new skills in preparation for entering work after graduating from university.”

Dr Jason Turner, Programme Leader at Abertay University added, “We actively encourage students to take up the many placement project opportunities we organise for them as a means of enhancing their CVs and allowing them to fulfil their graduate skills set. Our students regularly engage with real business challenges as part of their course and complimenting these activities with actual placements adds to their experience of working in groups, facing real commercial pressures, and communicating their ideas directly to a client, while receiving constructive feedback. I have no doubt that this group will rise to the challenge and find the experience both rewarding and beneficial to their future careers.”

Meanwhile, Laura Wilkie, Festivals and Development Manager, Dundee Science Centre, who interviewed the applicants prior to their selection, commented, “We are really excited to be working with such a dynamic and enthusiastic group of local students in a project which will undoubtedly add value to both sides.  The students will benefit from getting their teeth into a real-life commercial task while Dundee Science Festival will hopefully reap the rewards of a reinvigorated social media strategy, new, fun and engaging ideas, and an even higher profile than it currently enjoys.”

For more information on Dundee Science Festival, and to book events, visit www.dundeesciencefestival.org, email dundeesciencefestival@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk or telephone  01382 228800.

ENDS