Department Lecture - Dr Edward Duca

Dear all,

We are delighted to welcome Dr Edward Duca from the University of Malta for his talk, Nature-Based Solutions as Pedagogy: Environmental Justice in Public Spaces.  

This third lecture of the Department Lecture Series this year is hosted by the Centre for Research in Transdisciplinary Education (CRTE) taking place on Tuesday 3rd February in Baring Court 217 3:30-4:30, and on MS Teams. 

Abstract

Drawing on EU projects JUSTNature and VARCITIES, this talk reframes nature-based solutions as educational opportunities. It shows how streets, schools, pop-up parks, and neighbourhoods become sites of formal and non-formal learning about health and the environment, while providing opportunities for the community to come together. These projects involved schools, local councils, SMEs, artists, regional authorities, and researchers, generating learning across formal and non-formal spaces. Pre- and post-intervention surveys and sensor data on air quality and heat stress were gathered alongside qualitative community research to start to unravel several inequalities. They reflect equity and power struggles, using community engagement, science communication, and transdisciplinary research to support environmental justice in urban life and attempts to influence policy. The talk will also highlight difficulties encountered at every step of the participatory and co-creative processes undertaken in these projects.

Bio

Dr Edward Duca is a Science and Innovation Communication Lecturer at the University of Malta with over 15 years experience now managing a Sci Comm office with a team of 10–20 staff and interns. He co-runs the science communication STEAM Summer School, is involved in several large EU funded projects having secured over €2.8 million in direct funding to the University of Malta or Malta Chamber of Scientists. He’s had over 70 international speaking engagements, 21 peer-reviewed publications, and has created and managed several science communication events through the NGO the Malta Chamber of Scientists. The largest activity being the national science and arts festival Science in the City attracting 6% of Malta’s population annually. Between 2020–2024 he was appointed as Rector’s Delegate for STEM Popularisation (Engagement), and an EUSEA board member. He is on Malta’s National STEAM Engagement Task Force and a Malta Chamber of Scientists board member. His aim is to continue developing transdisciplinary research and activities to develop evidence for the effective communication of research that will encourage a scientifically aware society leading towards an informed democracy and active citizenship. He wants to embed a culture of public engagement and research that benefits society. He wants to empower people to improve their communities.

Please circulate the talk details with your students, and with colleagues outside of the School of Education who may be interested in joining.

Open Discussion - There will also be an additional open discussion with Ed after the talk (4:45-5:45) for members of CRTE. If you are not a CRTE member but would like to join this meeting please contact Sally Palmer (s.b.palmer@exeter.ac.uk) for details. 

We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions about the event please email Sally Palmer (s.b.palmer@exeter.ac.uk).

Dr Sally B. Palmer (she/her)

Senior Lecturer in Psychology in Education

School of Education, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, EX1 2LU 

Office NC118 | Staff profile here 

________________________________________________________________________________

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/34888901860234?p=OyYpBzAFGRAknIupSh

Meeting ID: 348 889 018 602 34

Passcode: eD6if3k6