Taking science into the wild this National Science Week

UNSW has partnered with Greater Sydney Parklands to connect communities across the city with hands-on science.

UNSW is celebrating National Science Week this August with a bold, city-wide program that brings science to life in ways that are hands-on, inclusive and uniquely UNSW. 

Through a series of major events both on campus and in the community, the 2025 festival will connect our research and people with thousands of students, families and future thinkers across Sydney and spark long-term engagement with STEM across all ages.

Taking science off campus and into the wild

In an exciting first, UNSW has partnered with Greater Sydney Parklands to deliver two major public events: Science in the Scrub in Western Sydney on Sunday 10 August and Science in the Swamp at Centennial Park on Sunday 17 August. Together, these events are expected to engage more than 20,000 people, offering students, families and local residents a hands-on introduction to the depth, diversity and impact of UNSW’s research and teaching.

At Science in the Swamp, the UNSW SciFest Village will bring together more than 30 academics and researchers from across UNSW’s Science schools, along with Medicine & Health and Arts, Design & Architecture. With more than 15 interactive activities including drone soccer, 3D anatomy, forensics, reptile encounters and slime-making, the Village puts science into the hands of children, teens and families in fun and memorable ways.

Also new this year is the Science in the Swamp app, which gives families another way to explore STEM futures, with games, stories and interactive content that continue the experience long after the event is over. It’s a fun and sustainable way to extend our reach across the city. 

Keen to check it out? You can get the app on the App Store or Google Play now (use code: swamp).

Through experiences like the Great Science Scavenger Hunt at Science in the Swamp, developed in partnership with the national initiative Future You, these events will help young Australians discover a wide range of STEM career pathways and open doors to a more inclusive future.

Fire Weather: The 2025 Jack Beale Lecture

On the Kensington campus, National Science Week heats up with the 2025 Jack Beale Lecture, Fire Weather by award-winning author John Vaillant. The lecture on Tuesday 12 August will dive into the explosive science of wildfires, with Vaillant and UNSW’s Professor Jason Sharples unpacking what happens when extreme heat, wind and fuel collide. 

Blending powerful storytelling with cutting-edge research, the lecture will explore how we can better predict, prepare for and adapt to a world where fire seasons are growing longer – and how science can help spark resilience in the face of a changing climate.

Explore the UNSW x National Science Week program.