ZEW on Board of MS Wissenschaft 2013
Dates and News
The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) is again on board of the exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft (MS Science). On 30 April, the floating Science Centre will set sail from Berlin and begin its journey through Germany and Austria. This year, the interactive exhibition with the motto "Alle Generationen in einem Boot"(All generations in the same boat) focuses on demographic change. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) sent the MS Wissenschaft on her mission.
ZEW’s contribution to the MS Wissenschaft is a computer simulation developed by the institute’s Research Department "Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy". The simulation shows the impact of social policy on the demographic development in Germany. By regulating birth rates, immigration or life expectancy, visitors of the exhibition can observe how these alterations affect the simulated demographic development, the average income and the share of employed persons.
"The Computer simulation is based on a model that shows how education can mitigate the consequences of demographic change. At the same time, the exhibit aboard of the MS Wissenschaft is an opportunity to visualise how changing some parameters can intensify or reduce demographic change," stresses Karsten Reuß, labour market economist at ZEW.
The MS Wissenschaft will visit about 40 cities along the German and Austrian waterways until 17 September. From 19 to 21 July, it will lie at anchor in Mannheim, home of ZEW, on the Rhine Promenade at the Lindenhof. Entrance to the exhibition ship MS Wissenschaft is free of charge. Opening hours are from 10 am to 7 pm daily. School classes can visit the ship from 9 am after advance notice.
The exhibition ship aims at creating a scientific experience in an entertaining way. Especially pupils and families can gain interesting insights into current research activities of different disciplines on demographic change.
More information about the MS Wissenschaft and the "Science Year 2013 – The Demographic Opportunity" can be found at: www.ms-wissenschaft.de and www.demografische-chance.de/index.php?id=252.
Contact for more information
Dr. Karsten Reuß, Phone +49/621/1235- 287, E-mail reuss@zew.de