Pacific Science Association

Activities

New book by PSA Science Communication Working Group: Communicating Science to the Public: Opportunities and Challenges for the Asia-Pacific Region

PSA Science Communication Working Group leaders Professor Leo Tan and Professor R. Subramaniam have produced a new book, Communicating Science to the Public: Opportunities and Challenges for the Asia-Pacific Region, published by Springer in July 2014.

The book explores effective approaches for communicating science to the public in developing countries. Offering multiple perspectives on this important topic, it features 17 chapters that represent the efforts of 23 authors from eight countries: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, and South Africa.

Leo Tan is a Professor and Director of Special Projects at the Faculty of Science at the National University of Singapore and former President of the Singapore National Academy of Sciences. R. Subramaniam is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education.

The book describes and analyzes the diversity of approaches to communicate science to the public. It highlights some of the challenges that science communicators, science policy makers, science teachers, university academics in the sciences, and even entrepreneurs may face in their attempts to boost science literacy levels in their countries. In addition, the book shares several best practices from the developed world that may help readers create communication initiatives that can lead to increased engagement with science in communities in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Given the pervasive influence of science and technology in today’s society, their impact will only increase in the years to come as the world becomes more globalized and economies become more inter-linked. This book will be a useful source of reference for developing countries looking to tap into the potential of science for nation-building and effectively engage their communities to better understand science and technology.

This book was partially supported by the Pacific Science Association, and contains a Fore-word by PSA President Nancy Lewis.

Announcements

New website for Future Earth

Future Earth, the global research platform providing the knowledge and support to accelerate transformations to a sustainable world, now has its own dedicated website. Bringing together existing programmes on global environmental change (DIVERSITAS, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the International Human Dimensions Programme (IHDP) and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), Future Earth is an international hub to coordinate new, interdisciplinary approaches to research on three themes: Dynamic Planet, Global Development, and Transformations towards Sustainability. Future Earth also serves as a platform for international engagement to ensure that knowledge is generated in partnership with society and users of science. It is open to scientists of all disciplines, natural and social, as well as engineering, the humanities, and law.

Professor Frans Berkhout is the interim Director of Future Earth, and the Science Committee is chaired by Dr. Mark Stafford Smith, with Vice-Chairs Professor Melissa Leach and Dr. Belinda Reyers.

Future Earth is sponsored by the Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability, comprising the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the Belmont Forum of funding agencies, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations University (UNU), and the World Meteorological Organization as an observer.

The Pacific Science Association has been a strong supporter of the Future Earth initiative since its inception, and participates in many of its Asia and Pacific regional planning meetings.

Future Earth announces new Secretariat

Future Earth has announced the formation of its new Secretariat, with a unique and innovative structure spanning three continents.

The FE Secretariat is comprised of five global hubs that function as a single entity. The five hubs are located in Canada (Montreal), France (Paris), Japan (Tokyo), Sweden (Stockholm) and the United States (Colorado).

The Secretariat will be formed by an international consortium of several lead organizations: Montreal International (Montreal, Canada), the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (Paris, France), the Science Council of Japan (Tokyo, Japan), Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Stockholm, Sweden), and in Colorado, USA, the University of Colorado (Boulder) and Colorado State University (Fort Collins). This structure is complemented by regional hubs coordinated by the Inter-American...