International Travelling Exhibition “Vaccines Injecting Hope” inaugurated at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru
- National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and Science Museum Group, London have joined hands to tell the story of the global effort to develop vaccines at pandemic speed.
- Started from November 15, 2022, the exhibition has travelled to Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai. Now, starting from September 10, the exhibition will be on display at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru till February 28, 2025. After Bengaluru, it will be on display in Kolkata till September 2025 and is expected to reach out to more than 2 million people.
- The exhibition has been made possible with support from Wellcome, UK, ICMR, India and other research and scientific organisations in India.
- A specially designed Mobile Science Exhibition Bus will travel to nearby areas of Bengaluru to raise awareness about the importance of vaccines in saving human lives.
- The exhibition will showcase an art installation commissioned by the British Council as part of the India/UK Together Season of Culture
Today, an international travelling exhibition “Vaccines Injecting Hope” was inaugurated at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru, in the august presence of Mr. Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner, Sir Ian Blatchford, Executive Director, Science Museum Group, London, Dr. B Venkatraman Chairman, Executive Committee, VITM & Former Director, IGCAR, Dr. Pragya Yadav Scientist, ICMR – National Institute of Virology, Pune, Mr. Samarendra Kumar, DDG, NCSM, and Mr. K. Sajoo Bhaskaran, Director, VITM, Bengaluru.
The Covid-19 pandemic struck the unsuspecting World with terrible ferocity and swiftness in January 2021 and claimed huge casualties. But unlike such earlier outbreaks, the World was prepared to quickly devise a defence to this new virulent disease. Where vaccines took decades to be formulated, in this case, scientists of the World could, using modern techniques hitherto unknown and unused, devised several versions of an effective vaccine in less than a year of its appearance. The virus stood overpowered if not defeated. This exhibition curated by NCSM and the Science Museum Group of UK, tells us the story of the creation of a modern day vaccine and its many facets, with its human side.
The exhibition has sections on ‘The Arrival of New Virus’, ‘Designing a New Vaccine’, ‘Trials, Results and Approvals’, ‘Scaling Up and Mass Production’, ‘Vaccine Rollout’, ‘Living with COVID’ and tells the story of the global effort to find new ways to develop vaccines at pandemic speed and look at vaccinations more broadly with a historical and contemporary view. The exhibition set out the scientific principles underlying a vaccine’s creation and efficacy while capturing the behind-the-scenes work that accompanies their rapid development, production, transport, and delivery. The exhibition showcases ‘Through The Lens’, an artwork commissioned by British Council and created through collaboration between Indian sculptor based in Delhi, Sushank Kumar, and a playwright in London, Nigel Townsend. The artwork seeks to explore our relationship with Vaccination historically and in the light of the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
The exhibition has been developed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) in collaboration with Science Museum, London and with support from Wellcome, UK, ICMR, India, NIV, Pune, Serum Institute of India, CSIR, AIIMS, NIBMG, Kalyani and various other research and scientific organisation.
British Deputy High Commissioner Chandru Iyer said: “International partners help tell a global story to reach bigger, more diverse audiences, and inspire future generations. India is a significant contributor in science and culture, and collaborations between iconic institutions like the Science Museum Group in the UK and the National Council of Science Museums in India have enabled several cross-learning opportunities between the UK and India. We look forward to scaling these opportunities.”
“After the grand success of the exhibition ‘Superbugs: The End of Antibiotics?’ this is another project where we have collaborated with the SMG group, London for raising awareness among masses about the importance of vaccines in our lives. Due to Corona pandemic, it will be very much relevant in India. This time we have added one Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) Bus to travel to the nearby areas of each location. The MSE Bus will mainly communicate the messages of the exhibition in rural areas. At the same time, I hope, the project will further strengthen the bond between the two leading Science Museums network in India & UK.” – said Shri Samarendra Kumar, Dy. Director General of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and Head & Coordinator of the project in India.
Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive, Science Museum Group said- “Injecting Hope is a truly international collaboration led by the Science Museum in London, but co-curated from the start with partners in India, China and the UK. The core research and message are consistent, but the exhibition and associated events programmes are tailored for each country. We have all learned from each other, and the animations in the Science Museum were created by our very dear partner in India – the National Council of Science Museums. This UK-India collaboration reflects the wider relationship between our two countries in the spheres of culture and science. We must cooperate to tackle the enormous challenges that face humankind, and there is no better example than the global effort to find a COVID-19 vaccine, in which the Serum Institute of India played such a vital part.”
“I am delighted to be at the launch of the ‘Vaccines: Injecting Hope’ exhibition in Bengaluru. This groundbreaking exhibition is a brilliant interpretation of how India and UK can work together to address global challenges like the ‘the COVID-19 pandemic’. I congratulate the National Council of Science Museums (India) and the Science Museum Group (UK) for their innovative partnership which is building on strong foundations to deepen scientific, educational and cultural ties between India and the UK” – said Alison Barrett MBE, Director India, British Council.
Shri K. Sajoo Bhaskaran, Director, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru said- “The exhibition will be on display at the museum from September 10, 2024 till February 2025 and will be open to the public from 9.30 am to 6.00 pm daily. We have planned various educational programs and interactive activities during the period to educate and engage the masses and I invite the people of Bengaluru to visit the exhibition and participate in these activities. I hope the exhibition will definitely increase their understanding of the importance of vaccines in saving lives.”
Later on, the exhibition will be on display at Science City, Kolkata from April 12, 2025-September 30, 2025.
Note to editors
For further information please contact:
India Contacts:
- Kumar, Dy. Director General, National Council of Science Museums
Email: ddg@ncsm.gov.in
Satyajit N. Singh, PRO, National Council of Science Museums
Email: pro@ncsm.gov.in, proncsm@gmail.com
ABOUT THE ORGANISERS:
About Science Museum Group
The Science Museum Group is the world’s leading group of science museums, welcoming over five million visitors each year to five sites: the Science Museum in London; the National Railway Museum in York; the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester; the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford; and Locomotion in Shildon. We share the stories of innovations and people that shaped our world and are transforming the future, constantly reinterpreting our diverse collection.
Standout objects include the record-breaking locomotive Flying Scotsman, Richard Arkwright’s textile machinery, Alan Turing’s Pilot ACE computer and the earliest surviving recording of British television. Our mission is to inspire futures – igniting curiosity among people of all ages and backgrounds. Each year, our museums attract more than 600,000 visits by education groups, while our touring exhibition programme brings our creativity and scholarship to audiences across the globe. More information can be found at https://group.sciencemuseum.org.uk/.
About National Council of Science Museums
National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), a premiere institution in the field of science communication, is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. Primarily engaged in popularizing Science and Technology through a network of science centres, Mobile Science Exhibitions (MSE) units that visit rural schools and organise plethora of activities for public and students in particular, NCSM has now become a trend setter in the field of science communication both at national and international level. Presently NCSM, with its Headquarters in Kolkata, administers and manages 26 science museums/centres spread across the country and is the world’s largest network of science centres and museums that functions under a single administrative umbrella with an annual reach to about 15 million people. Innovation Hubs set up by NCSM, provide expert guidance and professional lab equipment facilities to young students to nurture creativity, innovation and engagement in science. 42 hubs are functional in science centres/institutions across the country reaching about 10,000 students annually through each hubs. For further information please visit www.ncsm.gov.in
About Wellcome
Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. We’re a global charitable foundation, both politically and financially independent. We support scientists and researchers, take on big problems, fuel imaginations and spark debate. www.wellcome.ac.uk
About ICMR
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies that is nurturing the biomedical research and innovation in India. In line with the national health priorities, ICMR is generating scientific evidence in different disciplines that are indispensable for delivering quality health care at all levels. ICMR encourages capacity building for young researchers, scientists, medical and allied health professionals across the country. Council is committed to create a vibrant platform to tackle national and regional health problems through its progressive undertakings and partnerships. To address the AMR challenge, ICMR through its AMR Research Initiative is working with different stakeholders and partners to strengthen the evidence, improve diagnosis and rationalize antibiotics use for treatment of drug resistant infections. For further information please visit https://www.icmr.gov.in/
