Transcending Boundaries: Lessons in Inclusive Science Communication from the Global South
Channel: MetcalfInstitute
Date: 2023-10-21

Inclusve SciComm Symposium 2023 Keynote Address
Dr. Elizabeth Rasekoala
President, African Gong (The Pan-African Network for the Popularisation of Science & Technology, and Science Communication)

In the past decade, the field of science communication has recognized the urgent need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in its practices, audiences, and among its professionals. However, these efforts lack a comprehensive, intentional approach, leaving important issues unnoticed or ignored.

This context, and the extra spotlight on global inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic, have led science communication practitioners from around the world to unite in championing race and other aspects of sociocultural inclusion in their field. By addressing these often-overlooked themes, science communicators aim to bring a wider view to discussions about science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) for meaningful and systematic change.

Dr. Elizabeth Rasekoala, president of African Gong: The Pan-African Network for the Popularization of Science & Technology and Science Communication, will share practical insights about these themes in a keynote talk on October 20, 2023, as part of the 2023 Inclusive SciComm Symposium. Dr. Rasekoala, a veteran science communication scholar and practitioner based in South Africa, is editor of the new book, “Race and Sociocultural Inclusion in Science Communication: Innovation, Decolonisation, and Transformation.” This book assembled 30 diverse practitioners and academics from across the Global South and North to present empowering ideas and transformative concepts about inclusive science communication. Dr. Rasekoala will share broadly relevant insights and innovative perspectives from this influential collection, paving the way for more globally inclusive, representative, and paradigm-shifting approaches to science communication.