DAY 4: Science communication

DAY 4: Science communication

Rationale:
Strategic aim 3 of the of the SES states that, Empowering public science engagement necessarily requires effective communication about science, which in turn requires that (a) the content and medium of the communication delivers on its purpose, and (b) the skills of the communicators are adequate to the task. This webinar will look at the work already done by SAASTA in this regard and how it can used to direct science engagement in South Africa and beyond.

Objectives:
To define science communication and explain the added value of communication to science.

Participant(s):
Michael Ellis

Mr Michael Ellis Manager: Science Communication, National Research Foundation (NRF): South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA)

 

Mr Michael Ellis currently serves as the science communication manager at the SAASTA, a business unit of the NRF. He leads a dynamic team who are responsible for the development of science communication strategy and the coordination of various science communication programmes in South Africa. He is passionate about communicating science and has over a decade of experience in implementing science engagement and communication initiatives. He has served on the management teams of the Cape Town Science Centre and Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Johannesburg. He has experience in human capital development through his involvement in the national network of science centres and more recently, inspiring and training students and researchers to become even more societally engaged. Ellis is responsible for driving various national programmes through SAASTA, including a youth science journalism internship programme, the priority area public engagement programmes, the South African Science Lens and FameLab SA competitions and the national science debating initiative, amongst others. He has an MSc (Entomology), BSc Hons, a BSecEd (Sci) from the University of Pretoria and has recently completed a Strategic Management Development programme through the University of Stellenbosch Business School.