On November 7–8, Uzbekistan hosted the 5th International Science Festival “FAN 0+”, dedicated to popularizing scientific knowledge and introducing young people to modern technologies. One of the main venues was the Institute of Material Sciences of the Academy of Sciences in Parkent District. The festival was held as part of the BRICS+ Open Science Week under the motto “Your Outer Space” and was timed to the 65th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight.

The institute’s program was titled “Solar Energy in the Service of Science”. Visitors were shown the capabilities of the Uzbek solar engineering infrastructure, including optical installations and solar concentrators. During the experiments, participants saw how directed sunlight allows water to be heated quickly and brought to a boil. The most unusual demonstration was the lighting of an Olympic torch using solar energy.

Guests were also presented with developments in the field of functional materials and environmentally friendly technologies. Other events of the festival took place at the Tashkent Polytechnic Museum, branches of MSU, Mendeleev University, and MEPhI, as well as in specialized schools across the country's regions. The Academy of Sciences noted that the festival helped introduce schoolchildren and students to the achievements of Uzbek scientists in the field of alternative energy and modern scientific developments.