Facilitating Public Engagement with Science

Monday 10th April: 9.15-10.30
Chair: Jason Rutter

 

The communication of advances in science to those outside our host scientific disciplines is perhaps more important now than it has ever been. Public fears about genetically modified ‘Frankenfoods' and concerns about reported links between the MMR vaccine and autism have shown how managing the flow of knowledge between scientists and members of the public is a delicate process. However, for today's researcher simply turning their back on engaging with those outside the research lab is not an option.

Where public money is used to support research it comes with a responsibility towards that public and increasingly funders are looking to measure researchers' ability to engage with users of the knowledge they generate. There is also the risk that if scientists do not take time to develop the skills needed to communicate the value, meaning and importance of their research both that it will be misreported or, perhaps worse, loose the public and political profile which is vital for securing research support.

Further, without communicating the advances, culture and achievements of science we might question what will motive the next generation of potential scientists to enter a demanding career or how we can expect members of the public to make informed choices about scientific issues whether that be at the supermarket, the doctor's surgery or the ballot box.

This plenary session looks at these issues through the experiences of those involved with communicating different types of science. It looks at the relationship between media and science, innovations in communication science to a wide public and the role that public institutions can play in presenting and archiving developments in science.

These sessions will be introduced with a keynote speech from Professor Steve Miller, a former political journalist and astrophysicist at University College London. He was director of the European Network of Science Communication Teachers (ENSCOT) and its current successor ESConet Workshops and chairs the European Commission's Expert Group Benchmarking the Promotion of RTD Culture and Public Understanding of Science.

Panel members include: Istvan Palugyai, European Union of Science Journalists' Associations/Science editor Nepszabadsag (Hungary), Chris Smith, Dept. of Pathology, Cambridge University/The Naked Scientists (UK), Marco Stoffella, University of Venice (Italy) and Jenny Wetton, Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester (UK).