The Workshop on Neuroscience Communication was held in SISSA (Trieste, Italy) on 20-22 June 2011.
The course gave the opportunity to young neuroscientists and researchers interested in the social, ethical and legal implications of neuroscience to improve their communication skills and understand the media logic.
The workshop was supported by the
bid project and organised in collaboration with
ESConet, the European Science Communication Network. Led by three trainers, the course included five modules which made use of examples from neuroscience:
- Who you are communicating with and why
- Media writing
- How media cover science
- Talking to the media
- Science in dialogue
Seventeen trainees from twelve European and non-European countries attended the workshop. You can find here some pictures and comments.
«As a scientist I communicate everyday with my colleagues or my students, so at the beginning I was wondering: “Neuroscience communication? What is that, why is this necessary?” Well, after this workshop, I found the answer to this “so what” question: because it’s a whole world out there and the beauty is not only inside my world - the lab, but also outside, in the real world! Because of this workshop and its great trainers I found out that to get from here to there I need to re-wire my brain, to reorganize my words and re-create myself. If I can do this, the view can be as spectacular as from the science part. Thank you for beamed-me up from my world!»
«The workshop on Neuroscience communication is very dynamic and useful. You can feel spreading the limits of thinking and make strong link between social and science areas.»
«I joined the Neuroscience Communication Workshop. It was an useful experience to understand different professional roles and aspects in the relationship between media and neuroscience. The workshop was absorbing, interesting and multicultural. Trainers were all qualified and friendly. Aspects of communication emerged well. Organization was excellent.»
«It is always difficult to communicate the results of
an experiment or a study, write a press release or just answer questions on air, for people who are not experts in the field. Knowing some key points and techniques can really make the difference and increasing our self-confidence may also reduce the interview related stress. The bid workshop in Trieste accomplished both goals.»
«Neuroscientists often forget the goal of research: to spread around the world how a human being works. Bid workshop gave us practical instruments to talk simply and intriguingly about science.»
«I came across the bid workshop on neuroscience communication right when I needed it to incorporate into my job, which includes communicating biomedical science and technology ethics and policies to leadership and administration of several academic/research institutions and national regulatory and policy bodies. This workshop, led by a group of experienced, passionate and approachable trainers, provided lectures
and practice sessions on press releases, interviews and dialogue with various stakeholders. A small but diverse group of people ranging from philosophers and ethicists to neuroscientists and clinicians, all eager to learn to be better communicators assembled at what could be considered an inspiring venue for a science communication boot-camp!»
«Just a lot of good words! Never saw in one place 3G: Great trainers, Great organization and Great colleagues!»