HYDERABAD: For school students who walked into CCMB on Saturday, liquid nitrogen, cancers, eyes, brains and spiders were no longer just words in a science textbook. At the centre’s Open Day, science leapt off the page and into the laboratory for more than 7,000 visitors, who explored microscopes and experiments and interacted with the scientists behind them.
For nearly half of the participating schools, it was their first visit to CCMB or any research institution. The Open Day, held every September 26 as part of CCMB’s foundation day celebrations, focused this year on two themes — ‘Life Around Us’ and ‘Health’.
Scientists and PhD scholars set up interactive, research-based stalls, explaining scientific concepts and showing students how laboratory research connected with everyday life. A career zone allowed students to interact with scientists and ask about academic pathways, degrees and careers in research, while a game zone added an element of fun to the learning experience.
For many students, the visit offered a chance to see scientific equipment and experiments up close rather than simply read about them in textbooks.
“It was exciting to see how the things we study in textbooks are actually tested and researched in laboratories. I especially liked the exhibits on rice varieties and health because they made the concepts easier to understand,” said R Radhika, a Class 8 student who visited the institute.
Another Class 9 student, T Suresh, said the interaction with scientists offered a different perspective on a career in science. “I had thought scientists mostly work inside laboratories and conduct experiments. Talking to the researchers helped me understand how many different areas there are in science and research,” he added.
Rashmi Rao, a Class 8 student who was inspired by the ‘Life Around Us’ section, said, “The programme changed the way I looked at everyday things. I learnt that many things around us, including animals and microorganisms, can be studied scientifically.”
Speaking to TNIE, CCMB Director Dr Vinay K Nandicoori said the Open Day gave students an opportunity to experience a research institution first-hand. “Students read science in textbooks, but they do not know what a microscope really looks like, what scientists work on or what a scientific problem is. Exposure is the only way they can gain an understanding of the possibilities beyond conventional career choices,” he said.
“The Open Day served as a platform for young students to visit a research institute, many of them for the first time. It was a maiden visit to CCMB or any other research institute for students from nearly half the schools that came here, despite CCMB’s active study tour programmes for schools and colleges. This highlighted the need and scope for science outreach in the country,” he added.
Meanwhile, several non-profit organisations brought students to CCMB as part of their outreach programmes. DOBARA Senior Wellbeing, a Hyderabad-based organisation, brought 700 students under its school support programme. “Our students stepped into the world of scientific discovery and experienced something many of them had never encountered before,” said Ayesha and Imran Taiyebi, founders of DOBARA.