Science Metropolis – Boston

A scene from last year’s fair. (Credit: Daniel Pressl)

The 13th annual European Career Fair (ECF), matching candidates from America’s best universities with the top echelon of employers from Europe, will be held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), January 24-26, 2009.

Supported by the European Commission and leading European employers, the career fair is the largest event of its kind. Given the state of the global economy, it is increasingly important to have the ability to mobilize and attract creative employees. The European Career Fair is not merely a stepping stone for Europeans to continue their career back in Europe, but it also attracts many non-European candidates from a number of different fields.

At the last fair in February 2008, the ECF attracted over 4000 job seekers from 114 countries, with roughly equal numbers from Europe, US and the rest of the world. The majority of them came from MIT and Harvard or other Ivy League universities. The number of companies and non-profit organizations attending the career fair has grown by over 40% in recent years, reflecting the increase in global competition for talent and the high quality of the fair. Owing to its success, the ECF has been endorsed by the Ambassador of the European Commission Delegation to the United States – John Bruton, Nobel Prize winner – Roger Kornberg, and the MIT president – Susan Hockfield, among others. Organized by the European Club of MIT with the support of the European Commission and the MIT International Sciences and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), the transatlantic nature of the ECF is underscored by the cooperation with the IKOM Career Fair in Munich.

The 13th European Career Fair will take place on the MIT campus, January 24-26, 2009. Candidates who wish to participate are invited to submit their resumes to www.euro-career.com by November 28, 2008. Participating employers can select candidates from the online database and hold interviews at the fair. Companies and non-profit employers may register until December 15, 2008.

The fair will also include several panel discussions. On January 23rd, 2009 the European Commission and MISTI will host a panel discussion focusing on renewable energy and the knowledge economy.In addition, ScienceCareers, the career section of the journal Science, will present a discussion on transitioning from US academia to European industry on January 25th.

The above is a press release from the Press Team of the European Career Fair 2009.

Science on Screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre explores the possibility of life beyond Earth with a special presentation of CONTACT, the 1997 big-screen adaptation of Carl Sagan’s novel of the same name, on Monday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 p.m. Before the film, astrophysicist Paul Horowitz will speak on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). A true pioneer in this field, Horowitz and his work are believed to have been the inspiration for Sagan’s novel.

In the Robert Zemeckis film, Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway (Jodie Foster) is a free thinker seeking evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial life by listening for contact via radio astronomy. When Ellie discovers an intelligent message from deep space, her assumptions regarding science and spirituality are challenged, and she must decide whether to play it safe or risk her life in order to make first contact.

Paul Horowitz is Professor of Physics and of Electrical Engineering at Harvard. At age 8, he achieved distinction as the world’s youngest amateur radio operator. His research group is focused on several problems in experimental astrophysics, including the search for intentional radio signals or laser flashes from extraterrestrial intelligent civilizations. The group’s evolving SETI effort has inspired groundbreaking experiments at Harvard, including a 250-million-channel radio receiving system and a pair of optical searches that process a trillion measurements per second. Dr. Horowitz is renowned for his work in electronics design and is the co-author of The Art of Electronics, a bestselling book widely regarded as the electronics bible.

With Science on Screen, the Coolidge presents a feature film or documentary with a basis in science, paired with commentary by notable scientific figures. This monthly series is co-presented by The Museum of Science, Boston and New Scientist magazine.

Science on Screen programs are $7.75 for students, seniors, and Museum of Science members, or $9.75 regular admission. Tickets are available in advance at the box office, located at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline, or on-line at www.coolidge.org/showtimes.

For more details, visit: www.coolidge.org/science or call 617/734-2500.