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Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

 

Science has profound consequences for individuals, businesses, communities and the natural world. Increasingly, scientists recognise that those impacts must be openly discussed if they want wider society – be that the general public, companies, funding bodies or policy makers – to engage with the benefits and challenges of their work.

ICE’s Postgraduate Certificate in Practical Science Communication, led by Dr Jane Gregory, aims to develop the skills and knowledge of professionals involved with science so that they may better connect with wider audiences. According to Jane: “Science communication is a lot like singing. Many people are naturally good at it, but all singers benefit from training, exercise and studying others’ work, throughout their career."

“At the same time, science communicators need their brains as well as their practical skills. The immense value of studying science communication at a university is that we have access to decades of research that help us better understand not only science and communication, but also the social, political and human contexts in which our messages succeed or fail. The growing complexity and diversity of our world, and the vast inequalities in wealth, health, education and rights, mean science communication has to be adventurous and wise if it is to meet the needs of our fellow citizens.”

Meet the communicators putting theory into practice

Inside ICE sat down with four recent students – Penny Peck, Communications and Postgraduate Manager at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Evan Wroe, Communications Officer at the Genetic Alliance UK charity, Tim Pilgrim, Senior Media Relations Officer at Brunel University and Adam Ogwu, Project Coordinator for a digital transformation agency – to find out why they joined the course and how it has helped them communicate science to the wider world.

Why did you want to study Practical Science Communication?

Penny: "Communication and public engagement are key to my role, but I’d had no formal training. So I came looking for theories and new ideas, plus the confidence to know I’m taking the right approach."

Evan: "I was preparing to go into a science communication career but felt totally unequipped. I wanted to make sure I was following good practice backed up by research."

Tim: "I don’t have a science background, but I’d been working as a press officer and journalist for a few years and wanted to start specialising in an area I enjoyed."

Adam: "At the time, I worked in pharma and my day-to-day conversations were filled with jargon. One of the main incentives for me was being able to explain to family and friends how pharmaceutical drugs work. I was their ‘science guy’, so I wanted to credibly answer their questions, especially in the social media spaces they frequent."

How has taking the course benefitted you and your work?

Evan: "It has taught me to think critically about how to engage the public. I’ve learned how to write science news pieces for the charity I work for; and a social media strategy."

Penny: "I really enjoyed learning how to script podcasts and videos. I’ll do more of that now."

Adam: "The course was life changing. I’ve established an online health and pharma platform aimed at disseminating the science behind the questions of people within my demographic."

Tim: "I work with a civil engineering expert who studies Indonesian tsunamis. He’s hiring a geological research vessel, and I’m exploring how to help interested journalists cover the story from onboard. I wouldn’t have had the know-how or confidence to attempt that before."

Penny: "I gained so much confidence in giving presentations. And how to drill through scientific language to explain technical terms in an accessible way. I’m much better equipped to draft coverage of my colleagues’ scientific achievements now."

Evan: "I’ve learned a lot of skills that will help me through the PhD I’m about to start too."

Adam: "I’ve also recently been commissioned as a freelance medical writer for an online pharmacy. I’m very appreciative of the opportunities this course has opened up."

Tim: "Thanks to taking part in the course, I successfully applied for a fellowship to the International School of Science Journalism at the Ettore Majorana Foundation in Italy. I got to attend lectures and workshops held by the likes of CERN and The Einstein Telescope Project. Apparently, 145 Nobel Prize winners have taken part in a school there, so as someone who flunked their A-levels half a lifetime ago, this course has led to the kind of opportunity I never thought I’d get."

Learn more

To find out more about the Postgraduate Certificate in Practical Science Communication, visit: www.ice.cam.ac.uk/practical-science-communication

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This article was originally published as part of the 2019 Michaelmas edition of Inside ICE.

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