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Scientists need to market their work!

GreenFacts publishes its round-table proceedings on bringing scientific information to non-specialists

Brussels, 4 June 2004. GreenFacts has released the proceedings for the round table it organized on the theme: Bringing Science to Non-specialists. The event was held on 12 May 2004 in Brussels as part of the DG Research Conference: Communicating European Research

The speakers at the round table all came from different areas in the field of science communication. Professor Paul Galand is a researcher in cytology and experimental cancerology , a TV presenter and the president of WWF Belgium; Ann Van der Auweraert is developing a science shop network and trains scientists to communicate; Jacques de Selliers is the General Manager of GreenFacts, which focuses on science communication on the Internet; Dick Wife is the founder of Kids and Science, a project to improve the way young people approach science; and Mary Weed is an independent consultant specialized in media relations, who advises scientists on how to approach journalists.

Some of the main points which stemmed from the discussion include:

Communicating on science is equal to “selling science” – it is a form of marketing.
From its etymological roots, communication is a sexual behaviour – in communicating science, it requires making the truth attractive, creating a desire and knowing how to satisfy it.
Communicating to laymen helps scientists to clarify their concepts and to keep track of the aims of their research
Science shops not only provide better scientific information and improve dialogue between scientists and non-specialists, they also encourage science students to be more conscious of the problems relevant to the public.
By providing early science communication, kids will become better future citizens.
Scientists who say they have no time may not be interested in communicating and it is perhaps better that they do not enter into such an occupation.
Scientists may benefit from collaboration with communications specialists when it comes to disseminating their information.

The full round table proceedings are available online or in Word format. Information on the EU DG Research Conference, is available on the EU website.

GreenFacts Foundation asbl is a non-profit organization based in Brussels that publishes on the Internet unbiased, faithful summaries of authoritative scientific documents on various environment and health matters. It was formed in December 2001 by stakeholders from the academe, industrial groups and environmental NGOs concerned about the need for more impartial information for non-specialists on these issues.

For further details, contact:

GreenFacts asbl
32.(0)2.211.34.25

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