Science Festival

The Science Festival is the leading national event for science outreach. Established by the Ministry for Higher Education and Research, it brings together thousands of researchers, teachers, organisations and institutions every year to foster dialogue between the research community and society.

In the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, it draws on a network of partners comprising research organisations, universities, local authorities, science outreach organisations and stakeholders in science communication. In Marseille, the Science Festival is one of the event’s main attractions and welcomes several thousand visitors every year.

LEST’s commitment to science-society dialogue

By taking part in the Marseille Science Festival, LEST helps to make the knowledge generated in economy, sociology, political science, management, anthropology and law on changes in work, employment and organisations.

This involvement forms part of the policy of knowledge sharing of the laboratory and in line with the guidelines set by its supervisory bodies, the CNRS and Aix-Marseille University, in support of open research on society.

As well as showcasing scientific findings, the Fête de la Science provides the laboratory with a unique opportunity to engage with members of the public, schoolchildren, students, professionals and local stakeholders. It enables us to raise awareness of research approaches in the social sciences, to showcase the work carried out within the laboratory and to foster discussion on major contemporary issues.

LEST at the Marseille Science Festival

LEST has been taking part in the Marseille Science Festival since 2025. This first participation marked an important milestone in the development of the laboratory’s science outreach activities.

Since then, researchers, PhD students and support staff have been organising workshops, exhibitions and participatory initiatives that offer a different way of experiencing research and enable dialogue with a wide range of audiences on issues such as work, regions, ecological transitions, food, mobility and life courses.

2026 Edition

The 2026 Science Festival will take place from 2 to 12 October 2026 on the national theme «Refined Flavours».

To mark the occasion, LEST will be organising a number of workshops exploring the links between food, agriculture, the environment, work and society. Information regarding the programme will be updated regularly in this section.