Member Article

Science centre director exports expertise to China

One of the leading representatives for the North East’s scientific reputation is jetting off to the Orient next week to share the benefits of her experience. Linda Conlon, Director of the Centre for Life in Newcastle, is going to China to lead a British Council delegation invited to advise the country’s science centre industry on how to set up and run successful science centres.

During her week-long visit to Beijing and Shanghai, Ms Conlon will address senior science centre mangers from across China in a series of lectures, seminars and discussion groups. She will explain the ‘ideal model’ for a science centre, using the Centre for Life as an example and discuss how Western science centres have evolved to adapt to changes in an increasingly competitive marketplace. She will also be talking about how to retain visitor numbers, a key element to the success of any visitor centre.

Ms Conlon said: “There are plans to have at least one fully functioning science centre or museum in every large or medium-sized city in China. The Ministry of Science and Technology there is keen for them to aim to be self-funding and is therefore encouraging officials to learn from successful examples in the UK. “There is a lot of work involved in running a successful science centre, from initial set up though to the day to day running and then refurbishment. “The Centre [for Life] is commercially self-sustaining by managing a number of profitable activities that cross-subsidise the cost of operating the science centre. They include a bio-science centre for commercial enterprise, a conference and banqueting business, pubs, a nightclub and a large multi-storey car park.”

Ms Conlon has previously travelled to China with the British Council in August 2004, taking part a 10-day lecture tour advising on the setting up of science centres and their sustainability.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .