Storytelling and science communication: Mathematics comes to life on stage
This autumn, the Department of Mathematics at VU Amsterdam launched a new course, Storytelling and Science Communication, coordinated by Raffaella Mulas and funded through her VU Startpremie Grant.
Ten students across the Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD levels are learning how to communicate science in a clear, personal, and engaging way, with guidance from several coaches and mentors, including Raffaella Mulas, Nicos Starreveld, Katie Steckles, Ekaterina Eremenko, Joseph Kearney, Michela Quilici, Mar Curcó Iranzo, Heidi Klumpe, and Alessandro Zocca.
The course will conclude on Thursday, December 11, with a live theater performance titled Science speaks: Stories that move minds, where each student will have 7 minutes to share (without slides):
- A scientific topic in an engaging way,
- A historical note about science,
- A personal story about their journey in science,
- Or a mix of all of the above!
📅 Date: December 11, 2025
📍 Location: Theater 5 (NU Building, VU Amsterdam)
🕢 Doors open: 19:30 | Show starts: 20:00
🎟️ Admission is free, but registration is required: Register via Eventbrite
After the show, students will also be encouraged to bring their stories into schools and outreach events, in collaboration with Platform Wiskunde Nederland and Nora – Center for Science Communication.
Learn more about the course here and explore its ongoing journey here.