Treasure for the Future receives Science Communication Award

The University of Iceland's TV series, Treasure for the Future (Fjársjóður framtíðar), received the Icelandic Centre for Research Communication Award at the Researchers' Night last Friday. The TV series premiered last spring on the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV.  Treasure for the Future features diverse research conducted by scientists from all the University schools, including studies on climate change and its effects on biospheres and communities; natural hazard and volcanic eruptions; birds; remote sensing; the Northern Lights; whales, and basic research in cancer; to name a few. The TV series have been on the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service's programme since 2011 and has been aired in the Nordic countries. The series have also been nominated for AFO, an international festival of science documentary films; one of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. 

Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education, Science and Culture, presented the awards at a ceremony at a very successful Research Night last Friday. She said that Treasure for the future was one of the most comprehensive projects the University of Iceland had taken on to communicate science to the general public. The Minister of Education, Science and Culture's address also mentioned the aim of the TV series to increase the interest and knowledge of Icelander of all ages on science and innovation, and that the nation sensed and understood the importance of these factors for the future development of Iceland.

The script of the new series was written by Jón Örn Guðbjartsson, head of the Division of Marketing and Public Relations, Björn Gíslason, the University's manager of communications, and Konráð Gylfason, film maker. They were in charge of production as well. Konráð was the cameraman in the new series and in charge of film editing. The series include unique footage taken below the sea surface by Erlendur Bogason, showing of University scientists at work. Stefán Drengsson, film maker, also shot numerous clips in the series.

Amazing time laps in the new series were shot by Þorvarður Árnason, who is also makes an appearance as a research scientist in Treasure for the future, as director of the University of Iceland Research Centre in Hornafjörður. Exceptional footage from the air and from drones were shot by Óli Haukur Mýrdal.

The review from the Icelandic Centre for Research (Rannís) on the awards states that the emphasis in the TV series Treasure for the future were in line with that of the Researchers' night; i.e. the focus is on the scientists communicating their research to the public.

"It is safe to say that the TV series have right from the start received a lot of attention, and this attention has been international. The series have been presented as a unique project in science communication at the annual conference of EUPRIO (the association of higher education communicators in Europe), and at the UNICA conference (network of universities in European capitals), as well as receiving other recognition.

 The selection committee of the Icelandic Centre for Research concludes that the series richly deserves the award for science communication.”

The commentator in all three series was Jón Örn Guðbjartsson but Birgir Tryggvason was in charge of sound.

The new series were all shot in 4K, whereas the two previous ones were in HD, and the first series, aired on the University of Iceland's centennial in 2011 was one of the first Icelandic TV programmes broadcasted in HD.

The latest series of Treasure for the Future was produced by the University of Iceland and KAM-film for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV).

About the TV series (in Icelandic).