What is Explorathon?

Explorathon is a Scotland-wide festival run by a partnership of Scottish universities that celebrates the research happening in our universities through a dynamic programme of free public events focusing on ‘Making Research Real’ as well as an exciting series of activities in local schools.

Explorathon sees researchers from across Scotland take to the streets, visit local schools, pop-up at shopping centres, museums and cinemas, to showcase the latest research. It's an opportunity to get up close to cutting-edge research, find out who works in universities, what they do and the impact their research has on every day life.

The aim is to demonstrate the diversity of the research community, emphasising that research is open to all. The mission is to show that no matter who you are – regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity – you can be a researcher and change people’s lives for the better. In short, our activities and researchers “Make Research Real!”

Explorathon 2024

Explorathon 2024 featured a range of interactive table-top activities designed for all ages, with a special focus on families. Our researchers offered a unique opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of cutting-edge research at Strathclyde and celebrate the innovative work being done. 

Hundreds of people discovered the connection between food and nature by growing and brewing their own herbal tea.  Our visitors learned how animals are cared for in research, challenged stereotypes about dementia and technology, and played the healthcare journey board game. We built structures with jellybeans, created  light-up postcards and explored the densities and hardness of various objects.

Stay updated with Explorathon and future activities by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn at @EngageStrath.

Plans for Explorathon 2025 will be updated in Spring 2025