Young innovators are our hope. Without science, we won’t sail into the future

Growing trust in science, and in scientists themselves, is correlated with increased prestige of science-related professions. When asked about the professions they trust the most, Poles point to scientists and engineers (60 per cent) and doctors (58 per cent). Our eyes have turned to these particular professions, because it is their work that currently inspires the most hope.

Poles believe that rather than finding a cure for emerging viruses, including COVID-19 (68 per cent), it is more important to develop therapies for diseases that have been plaguing us for a long time, including cancer and heart disease. Such is the view of three quarters of the public (75 per cent). Combating climate change (54 per cent) is more important to Poles than reducing unemployment (50 per cent), according to the data.

This shows that public health issues, civilisational diseases, and climate change are the problems our minds are bombarded with on a daily basis. And this brings to light the role that science should play in this theatre of collective fears. Actions should be taken to encourage young people to study science, natural sciences, engineering and technology. Our prosperity depends not only on us, but also – as the pandemic showed – on how many scientists, doctors, biotechnologists and engineers are working in our country.

“Boom for science”

It is said that the luckiest people in life are those who have a passion – especially those whose work goes hand in hand with it. Seen from this perspective, people who work in the science sector should be envied. In fact, the study shows that as many as 58 per cent of Poles who chose a career in science state that it is related to their passion.

At the same time, only one third (35 per cent) of professionals in the technology sector became interested in science, life sciences, IT, engineering and maths during their school years. Most often, they were encouraged to pursue a career in science by family and friends (50 per cent), school and university lecturers (46 per cent) and well-known scientists (28 per cent), our survey found.

This shows how much still needs to be done at the school level in terms of promoting science and related career paths. For the time being, however, the pandemic has become an unexpected ally of future scientists. Three in five (63 per cent) Poles believe that young people today are more engaged in science than ever before and more interested in pursuing careers in science than ever before. Half of us even believe that the increased visibility of doctors and scientists in the public space during the coronavirus pandemic has inspired a new generation to take up these career paths in the future. This is a view shared by parents in particular (57 per cent). Conclusions of the State of Science Index study show that there is a strong “boom for science” in Poland.

“Dream job”

So let us imagine that in a few years’ time, when children are asked what they want to do in the future, there are fewer hopes related to joining the ever-numerous ranks of potential ballerinas and firemen, and greater interest in becoming engineers or doctors. And although this may sound like wishful thinking to some, it is important to remember that enthusiasm for pursuing a path of learning can be kindled even in the earliest years of a person’s life.

For this to happen, however, a broad system of educational support and incentives for young people are needed, to give them an opportunity to catch the science bug. Young people themselves recognise this need. As shown in the 3M survey, every second young person (55 per cent) points to lack of access to additional classes organised by schools (55 per cent) and an insufficient number of teachers (55 per cent) as the biggest barriers to further development in the fields of science, IT, engineering and mathematics (known as STEM).

Boredom is another problem when young people encounter STEM. It turns out that classes taught in a theoretical and uninteresting way discourage pursuit of a science education, and teachers forget about the idealism so inherent to youth. The way to encourage the exploration of science – according to almost half of young people – is to teach it in a more engaging way, with the realisation that science ... can change the world for the better.

Time to invest in youth

Science supports business on a daily basis, so business also has a role to play in nurturing the young inventors of tomorrow. Such a conviction is shared not only by great visionaries. Most Poles believe that the private sector, including corporations, can play a role in ensuring equal access to technological education.

The most important incentives that Poles believe businesses can provide to advanced science education include the introduction of grants and scholarships for students, who currently constitute a minority in these fields of study, and programmes such as internships, summer camps and workshops to encourage young people to pursue technological education. The podium of priorities is completed by creating resources to engage the youngest children in these disciplines.

The above data may suggest that it is time for business to participate more widely in the technological education of children and young people, initially by making a financial contribution to efforts at promoting science. The money spent on this, however, is an investment that will quickly pay off. Making technological career paths fashionable, so to speak, and increasing the popularity of science-related professions is a guarantee of development for the companies themselves and – more broadly – for the entire economy. The more scientific and technological professionals there are, the greater the chances for success in the field of innovation.

If the Polish economy is to be competitive, we should make sure that our ranks – in companies, research institutes and universities – are full of young and talented innovators. This makes supporting partnerships between business and the educational sector in the best interest of our common future. ©℗