Kenneth Skeldon, Scotland

Research Engagement Manager, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Ken Skeldon currently leads Research Engagement at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, UK. Before he took up this position in 2021, he was Head of Public Engagement at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire, UK. Prior to this he was Head of Public Engagement, Festival and Events at the University Aberdeen, Scotland. Ken has worked in a number of public engagement settings over the years, including Glasgow Science Centre (developing exhibits and outreach kits for the Centres launch 2000 – 2001), the Hunterian Museum (where he was Honorary Curator and exhibition designer from 2004 – 2008) and Chair of the Board of Directors at Aberdeen Science Centre (2015 – 2017). He began his career as a researcher in physics, working on gravitational wave detection and optics before being awarded a UK NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) Fellowship in 2005 which catalysed his career transition to public engagement. He received an MBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2012 for services to science engagement.

Rony Ben-Chaim, Israel

Deputy Director-General, Operations & Projects,
Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem

Rony serves as the Deputy Director-General, Operations & Projects at the Bloomfield Science museum Jerusalem. The Museum is one of Israel’s most prominent institutions for informal science education and communication, providing life-changing experiences and fostering dialogue between various sectors of the community. The mission of the museum is to arouse curiosity and to deepen understanding of the natural and technological worlds. s the Deputy Director- General of the Museum, Rony oversees the day-to-day operation of the institution, coordinates staff and volunteers, and manages the development process of new exhibitions, visitor experiences, and special events. Rony studied Life Sciences for a Bachelor’s degree and Public Policy for a Master’s degree both at the Hebrew University Jerusalem.

Maria Hagardt, Sweden

International Relations and Communications Manager, Vetenskap & Allmänhet

Maria Hagardt is the International Relations and Communications Manager at Vetenskap & Allmänhet (VA, Public & Science), where she bridges the gap between science and society. She manages EU projects like GENDERACTIONplus and ORION Open Science and is the Hub Manager for Falling Walls Engage Hub Sweden. Her extensive experience includes roles as a National Contact Point for EU Horizon 2020 and FP7, influencing EU policy on science and society interaction. She is a member of national reference groups for the Horizon Europe WIDERA programme and ERA Forum, and a national expert in the European Commission’s Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement.

Andrea Brunello, Italy

Direzione Artistica, Italy

Researcher, playwright, director, actor, teacher, science communicator, and podcaster, Andrea Brunello works at the boundary between theatre and science. He is a graduate of the three-year program “SAT – SCHOOL AFTER THEATRE advanced training program” led by the Russian director and pedagogue Jurij Alschitz and affiliated with the EATC/Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) of Moscow (Russia). On the scientific side, Andrea holds a Bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Stony Brook University (New York). He is also a graduate of the University of Trento (Italy) Master in Communication of Science and Innovation.

David Price

Business Development Manager, Science Made Simple

Dr. Annette Klinkert, Germany

CEO of city2science, Germany

Annette Klinkert is EUSEA Director since 2016. With a professional background in city management, she founded city2science – Science Communication and Strategy Consulting in 2012. city2science facilitated and conceptualizes innovative communication approaches connecting scientific institutions with urban and regional development strategies. Annette Klinkert has initiated and organized a number of large-scale science communication formats across Germany, such as the science festivals GENIALE, WissensNacht Ruhr, FameLab Germany and MakerFaire Ruhr, and facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogues and co-creative innovation strategies such as Knowledge Metropolis Ruhr.