On November 30th, group 7 of primary school IBS Risala visited Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) for a lecture for kids on nudging. This lecture was conducted by Semiha Denktaş, professor of behavioral sciences and Chief Diversity Officer at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Denktaş emphasizes the importance of such lectures: "These lectures are very important. I believe it's excellent that primary school pupils get exposed to a university at such a young age. Often, it's their first introduction. They not only get to know the university but also learn more about science and conducting research. Hopefully, we can ignite enthusiasm in pupils about studying and working at a university through this programme."
Usually, Denktaş teaches older students, so she had to carefully consider the words she would use to make the concept of nudging understandable for the group 7 pupils. This turned out to be successful as the pupils were very enthusiastic about the topic and actively participated in the experiments. At the end of the lecture, the pupils got the opportunity to ask the professor some questions.
Denktaş said, "The most enjoyable question of the day was about which football club in Turkey I support: Beşiktaş, of course!" After the questions, Denktaş asked the group of pupils if they themselves were interested in becoming researchers someday. More than half of the pupils eagerly raised their hands. Denktaş also had advice for these young aspiring researchers: "Above all, stay very curious!" The lecture not only provided the kids with new knowledge about nudging but also a touch of inspiration for studying and conducting research. Hopefully, we'll see these great minds in the future at EUR!
Want to know more? Email us at ideacenter@eur.nl.