This webinar was recorded on Wednesday 4 August 2021.
What are the lessons to be learned from COVID when it comes building trust and interest in the views and advice of scientific experts?
Breaking down the barriers between research and the public at large has always been a challenge. Researchers look to gain public interest, support, and trust across the research journey, but the public are exposed to multiple communications channels and some are trafficking in miscommunication. How are the public supposed to separate fact from fiction and how are researchers to gain the much-valued public support & trust from concept through to accomplishment?
During the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a strong reliance by the public, politicians and media on the advice and research provided by scientific experts. This is in many ways in contrast to the trends of recent years on a range of topics, most notably around climate change but also on future technologies such as artificial intelligence and in public health aspects like potable water recycling. Through this webinar event we’ll aim to address three key questions: Using the pandemic as a case study, can we harness this renewed public interest & trust and expand it to other scientific, engineering, and technological areas? How do we keep the momentum from the pandemic going to instil a sense of value and pride in Australian lead research & development among the public, to grow interest in related professions to attract the future workforce? Is this (apparent) change in public interest the start for a new entrepreneurial and even ‘pioneering’ spirit among Australians?
SPEAKERS
Dr Andrew Liveris
Former CEO and President of Dow Chemicals
Professor Lyn Beazley AO FAA FTSE
Biomedical researcher in the field of neuroscience and former WA Chief Scientist
Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO FTSE FAHADirector of the School of Cybernetics at the Australian National University and Senior Fellow at Intel.
Professor Ian Chubb AC FAA FTSE
Australian neuroscientist, and former Australian Chief Scientist