Andres Jõesaar: “In front of me were bright-eyed young people who truly listened with interest”
The Tallinn University exhibition “The Unmapped Journey: An Individual’s Path to Science” is currently on display at Pärnu Sütevaka Humanitarian Gymnasium, where the first meeting with a researcher also took place. The students met with Associate Professor of Media Policy, Andres Jõesaar.
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Tallinn University’s exhibition “The Unmapped Journey: An Individual’s Path to Science” opens a window into the personal stories of researchers – their choices, turning points and the unexpected steps that have led them to their current work. One of the scientists featured in the exhibition is media studies professor Andres Jõesaar, who has long experience in both research and explaining media and social processes to the public. We asked him to share his impressions of taking part in the exhibition and of his first meeting with young people, where he spoke about media consumption, critical thinking and the questions students raised.
How was your experience participating in the exhibition?
The experience was very good!
More initiatives like this, where the university “goes among the people”, would definitely be welcome. A travelling exhibition is a great way to reach those who might not otherwise visit the university and to bring science closer to them.
We also held the first public talk with you, and we plan to continue organising similar meetings. What were your impressions of meeting the young people? What questions did they ask and what did you talk about?
The meeting took place in a very pleasant atmosphere. Surprisingly many young people attended – around a hundred – and it seemed that they listened with real interest.
There wasn’t much time left for questions from the audience, as the meeting was held in an interview format, with a lively 12th-grade student as the interviewer.
The more serious questions focused on the risks related to (over)consumption of (social) media. They also asked for practical advice: how to navigate the media sensibly, what to trust and what not to, and how to overcome media addiction.
Were there any surprising questions?
There wasn’t anything particularly unexpected, but I could highlight the very positive atmosphere and the many bright-eyed young people listening with genuine interest.
The exhibition “The Unmapped Journey: An Individual’s Path to Science” will next travel to the Viljandi City Library, where it will be on display from 8 December. On the same day at 17:00, there will also be a meeting with Meidi Sirk, Associate Professor of Vocational Education, who is originally from Viljandi County.
Information about the exhibition
