Villeurbanne 2022, French Capital of Culture

In 2022, Villeurbanne will be the very first city to be named French Capital of Culture. The Université de Lyon has joined this initiative as a privileged partner and will offer a range of scientific activities and the opportunity to meet and discuss with the research community via Pop’Sciences and the École urbaine de Lyon.

As a major partner of “Villeurbanne 2022, French Capital of Culture”, the Université de Lyon will be offering a number of science-based activities for the general public, including meetings with researchers from different disciplines, tours of laboratories, awareness-raising campaigns on scientific careers, discussions on societal issues, demonstrations of the latest scientific innovations, and much more. Let's take a look at the preliminary program for 2022.

The fourth edition of this event, supported by the École urbaine de Lyon, will once again provide innovative space for knowledge sharing and public discussions on issues related to the Anthropocene Era. The event, which is open to all, will include a variety of activities (public lectures, debates, species portraits, film screenings and subsequent discussions, book clubs, workshops, activities for young people, and walks) and will focus on topics that will determine the fate of future generations, such as the sustainability of life on Earth, space exploration, and much more, with over a hundred guests already scheduled to attend.

The “À l’École de l’Anthropocène” Festival will be held in one of Villeurbanne’s most vibrant and iconic venues, Le Rize.

Click here to find out more about the 2022 edition

Every year throughout France, the Science Fair invites the general public to have fun with science, to discover new technologies and the latest developments.

The 31st edition, which is organized by the Université de Lyon in the City of Lyon and in the Rhône region, will focus on the “Villeurbanne 2022, French Capital of Culture” initiative. Laboratories, companies, organizations, museums and other scientific culture players will open their doors for this event.

Click here to find out more about the Science Fair (FR)

The Université de Lyon’s Pop’Sciences program is designed to bring together researchers, science and local residents. Over the course of 2022, Pop’Sciences will be visiting a number of middle schools and high schools in Villeurbanne. The program includes meetings between students and researchers in order to make as many young people as possible aware of what science is all about, to help develop their critical thinking, to shed light on a number of little-known disciplines and to share their passion for science.

More information on the Pop’Sciences school visits (FR)

Every two years, the Pop’Sciences festival takes over a city, a district or an iconic location for a weekend of fun-filled, science-based activities. The festival is the perfect opportunity for all Pop’Sciences contributors, researchers, PhD students, companies, local cultural partners, etc., to meet local residents and share their passion for science. The last edition was held in July 2021 at the Saint-Romain-en-Gal Archaeological Museum and brought together 3,600 participants and involved 180 speakers and 48 research laboratories.

In 2023, the festival will be held in Villeurbanne and will include a wide range of events, festivities, initiatives and creations that have all been developed as part of “Villeurbanne 2022, French Capital of Culture” initiative. The program will be developed step by step in collaboration with the festival’s local partners.

Red more about the 2021 Pop’Sciences festival (FR)