The Forum of Science Communicators is organized in collaboration with ITMO University, the 2018 Grand Prix winner for the best communication laboratory, and the Association of Communicators in Education and Science (AKSON), an association of professionals working in the field of science communication. AKSON sees its mission in the integration of the Russian professional community into international organizations of science communicators and journalists.
“ITMO University is chosen as a platform for this year’s forum for a reason. We were among the first in Russia to put a stake on the development of educational and research projects aimed at letting the wider public know about the latest advances in science and technology. It’s been three years since we launched a unique Master’s program and the first online courses and professional development programs in this field. The fact that the forum is taking place in St. Petersburg emphasizes the role our city plays in the development of the professional and educational infrastructure of science communication in Russia,” notes ITMO University rector Vladimir Vasilyev.
Topics and lecturers at the third Forum of Science Communicators
Among the key topics discussed at this year’s forum will be the study of people’s perception of science and technology, professional and ethical standards of science journalism, science communication in medicine, scientific museums and festivals, science communication in business and technologies transfer, science communication and journalism education, promotion of Russian science media abroad, and the national strategy in science communication.
“The perception of science communication in our country has changed dramatically over the last couple of years. It all started with small groups of enthusiasts, which have evolved into huge science communication departments at universities, science media with millions of followers, and a range of professional development programs. We in our young community grow together, we share our experience and best practices, and it’s really great to see that the Forum of Science Communicators becomes a traditional platform for such cooperation,” said Alexandra Borisova, president of the Association for Communication in Education and Science.
Participating at the forum will be leading international experts, including Michele Catanzaro, physicist, science journalist, and laureate of the King of Spain International Journalism Prize; Sarah Davies, top expert in the field of science communication, researcher at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, author of several acclaimed books on science communication; Mikko Myllykoski, experience director of the science museum Heureka, Finland, and chair of the program committee of the European Network of Science Centres and Museums (Ecsite); and Leif Lønsmann, Denmark’s senior media advisor and board member at Nordic Journalism Centre.
Among top Russian experts to partake at the forum are Dmitry Malkov, director of ITMO University’s Science Communication Center; Grigory Tarasevich, editor-in-chief of the Schrödinger’s Сat science pop magazine; CERN researcher Daria Dvorzhitskaya; Andrey Kozhanov, director of the Higher School of Economics Centre for Student Academic Development; Konstantin Fursov, deputy director at the Higher School of Economics Centre for Statistics and Monitoring of S&T and Innovation, and others.
The forum will conclude with the awards ceremony for the 2019 winners of Communication Laboratory and Rusnano Russian Science Writer of the Year prizes. Going on three years, the Communication Laboratory award is the only professional award for communication departments of universities and research centers. The Rusnano Russian Science Writer of the Year prize is awarded for the first time, with its winner set to represent Russia at the international contest European Science Writer of the Year.
The full program and list of the speakers, as well as the registration for the forum is available on the official website of the event.
For the first time ever, the forum will be accompanied by “Communication and Promotion of Research”, a two-day workshop on science communication. Organized by the National Training Foundation, AKSON and ITMO University, it will take place on June 26-27.
Participants of the workshop will be able to explore the main functions of communication in research organizations, master the main tools used for planning, implementation and monitoring of informational promotion of scientific research, and familiarize themselves with other science communication practices. The program also includes solving applied tasks such as conducting the analysis of a university’s communication strategy and package scientific content for informational promotion. You can learn more about the workshop and apply for participation here.
The forum is to coincide with the visit to St. Petersburg by the delegates and science journalists partaking in the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ2019), which will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 1-5. This will give the forum’s participants the opportunity to learn about the best international practices in the field.
