LIYSF Scientific Visits: Inside the UK’s Top Labs, Research Centres and Industry Sites
Lectures can teach you a lot about science, but nothing compares to stepping inside a working laboratory and watching researchers in action. That is the idea behind the Scientific Visits at the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). They are one of the most popular parts of this two-week STEM programme for students aged 16 to 21 from around the world.
This article explains what LIYSF Scientific Visits are, how they work, where students go and why so many former participants call them a turning point in their lives.
What Are LIYSF Scientific Visits?
Scientific Visits take students beyond the lecture hall and into real-world science. Participants visit university laboratories, research centres and industry sites while they are in full operation, with scientists and engineers doing their everyday work.
The visits show students how science really works, from the experiments and equipment to the teamwork behind every discovery.
How the Visits Work
- Students choose the visits that match their own interests, whether that is medicine, engineering, space, the environment or another field.
- Visits take place in smaller groups, so there is more chance to see things up close and talk to the hosts.
- On some visits, students may join in experiments or try scientific techniques for themselves.
- Scientists share their experiences and answer students’ questions about their research and careers.
- Each visit shows how a particular area of STEM works day to day.
Where Do Students Go?
LIYSF works with a wide network of top research departments and centres of excellence across the UK. Hosts have included:
In London
- Imperial College London (various departments)
- University College London (UCL)
- UCL Hospital
- King’s College London
- London Metropolitan University
- The Royal Institution
- The Tate Museum Conservation Department
- London Wetland Centre
In Oxford and Cambridge
- Departments of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, including university hospital departments
- British Antarctic Survey
- Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
- Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre
- HR Wallingford
- Wellcome Genome Campus
Across the UK
- Airbus
- Rolls-Royce
- National Space Centre
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- National Oceanography Centre
- John Innes Centre
- Rothamsted Research Centre
- Animal & Plant Health Agency
- Public Health England
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
- University departments at Birmingham, Cardiff, Cranfield, Essex, Nottingham and Sussex
Museums
- Science Museum
- Natural History Museum
The mix of universities, aerospace companies, medical institutions, space and fusion research centres, and environmental organisations means there is something for every kind of young scientist.
When Do the Visits Happen?
In the LIYSF 2027 programme (18 to 31 July 2027), scientific visits are spread across the two weeks:
- Tuesday 20 July: research and scientific establishments in London
- Thursday 22 July: day visits to research establishments in Oxford and Cambridge
- Sunday 25 July: visit to the Science Museum
- Tuesday 27 July: day visit to UK research and scientific establishments
Why Scientific Visits Matter
For many students, the visits are where science stops being a school subject and becomes a possible future. They help participants to:
- see science in action instead of only reading about it
- understand collaboration and how research teams work together
- test their interests against the reality of working in a field
- explore careers by talking directly to working scientists
A Defining Moment for Many Alumni
LIYSF says that many former participants describe their Scientific Visits as defining moments. Some students discovered the exact field they wanted to study. Others changed direction completely after seeing a different area of science up close. Either way, the visits have helped shape their university choices and career paths.
Final Thoughts
LIYSF Scientific Visits give students something no textbook can: a real look inside the labs, companies and research centres where the future of science is being built. For any student aged 16 to 21 who is curious about a STEM career, they are among the most valuable parts of the LIYSF experience.
To learn more, visit the official LIYSF Scientific Visits page.