Higher Education PS urges scientists to communicate effectively

Scientists need to develop appropriate communications skills and create new ideas and debunk myths surrounding genetically modified foods (GMO’s) and other new emerging technologies.

While officially opening a two days communications training workshop for scientists drawn from the bio safety authority board and bio safety appeals board at Maazoni, the Principal Secretary State Department of Higher Education Prof. Collette Suda said,“as you are aware, concerns on safety of GMO’s is still an important topic worldwide as evidenced by public statements that we observe in the media”.

Prof. Suda regretted that a lot of misconceptions have been made concerning new technologies in science and appealed to scientists to strengthen their communication and design appropriate messages for targeted groups.” You cannot change people’s mindset and behaviour about new technologies if you do not develop sustained communication for them to believe you”, said the PS.

She asked research organizations to encourage public-private partnerships in order to boost resource mobilization to enable them support their projects.

The main objectives of the training workshop is to enhance the Boards’ skills on effective communication on regulatory processes and safety of biotechnology and its products; principles of message development on biosafety, regulatory process and biosafety decisions.

The training has been organized by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA) in collaboration with the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA AfriCenter) and the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS).