Thousands came to experience the University's offering at GwyddonLe
The successful partnership between Swansea University and the Urdd Eisteddfod is long established and once again this year, thousands of visitors came to experience the University's offering at the GwyddonLe Science Pavilion on the grounds of the 2024 Urdd Eisteddfod in Maldwyn.
The theme of this year's GwyddonLe was Energy and Swansea scientists fired up the visitors' imaginations with a variety of scientific demonstrations and stage shows to entertain the audiences. The Medical School had various activities including the Teddy Bear Hospital, studying blood cells and learning how to use a defibrillator. Technocamps returned with a robot that could solve a Rubik's Cube and a robotics mini golf course. One of the most popular activities was the Stroop Challenge by the School of Psychology, which everyone found far more difficult than expected!
It was great to welcome the University's Virtual Reality Team back this year, and the Digital Wizardry stand by the Media and Communications Department where the slightly older visitors were transported back to their childhood computer games such as Chuckie Egg! We welcomed external partnerships including E-Sports Wales which is always very popular, and this year the National Space Academy held fantastic workshops.
On Friday of the Festival, the public speaking competition, the Morgan Institute Challenge, was held on the GwyddonLe stage. Pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, Ysgol Gyfun Bryn Tawe and Ysgol Gwent Is Coed tooke part presenting arguments for and against the topic, "A Carbon-Free Future for Wales: Dream or Reality?" It was a very adifficult task for the judges, Professor Trystan Watson from Swansea University's School of Engineering, and Heledd Siôn, a journalist with BBC Radio Cymru’s news team, to select a winner in a competition of such high standard, but Esther Harper from Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera was the winner of the Morgan Institute Challenge 2024 trophy.
It is always a pleasure to welcome special visitors, friends and supporters of the University to the GwyddonLe and this year, the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS made time to visit, as well as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Eluned Morgan MP. Honorary Fellow Huw Llywelyn Davies dropped by and we were joined by Pro-Chancellor Sir Roderick Evans, Professor Ryan Murphy who is Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor Sian Rees, Deputy Executive Dean of the same Faculty.
Sir Roderick Evans, Pro-Chancellor of Swansea University said: "Seeing the GwyddonLe so busy and full of excitement is a truly unique experience and the dedication of the various departments of Swansea University to exhibit our research and expertise during the Eisteddfod week is to be commended. We are extremely proud of our close partnership with the Urdd Eisteddfod and are very much looking forward to welcoming the Festival to our area in 2025."
