Strong public support for science is cited by speakers at the opening session of the three-day COMSTECH International Conference/Workshop on Science Communication and Community Engagement as being necessary for the survival of the scientific enterprise amid the current economic crisis.

Speaking at the conference, Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Coordinator General of COMSTECH, said that speakers from seven countries with extensive backgrounds and significant contributions to scientific communication will address this conference. He disclosed that more than 460 people from a variety of fields, including science, media, policymakers, social work, arts and cultures, diplomacy, and the environment, had registered to attend this conference.

He said that although society and science are sometimes seen as being in two distinct, remote realms, they really coexist. They are interconnected naturally because they are two sides of the same coin, he added. Science needs social and political backing, while society benefits from scientific discoveries and principles, he said and added, none can thrive or survive without the other. He argued that robust public support for research is essential for the continued success of the scientific endeavour throughout economic downturns.

According to Prof. Choudhary, society should direct science rather than the other way around. He remarked, science should serve the interests and needs of society, and society should help select how its resources are allocated to finance scientific efforts, promoting useful studies, and discouraging others.

Prof. Dr. Syed Javaid Khurshid, the conference's associate coordinator, provided a thorough introduction to the event and stated that its main goal is to build a bridge between scientists and journalists in order to raise public awareness. Michael Wadleigh, the conference's coordinator and an Oscar-winning filmmaker, spoke on UNESCO open data to stop the global social economic collapse.

The Director of the Malaysian Biotechnology Information Center (MABIC), Dr. Mahalectchumy Arujanan, spoke on the topic of science communication as an approach to future global crisis preparedness. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kamran Akhtar, discussed the "Role of science communication in international diplomacy."

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk