PCST Network News

From an International Research Workshop to a Pop-up Podcast – The Story of 'Sharing Science'

19 Nov 2019: Yael Barel-Ben David and Aviv J. Sharon write about their experiences developing a 'pop-up podcast' based on a research workshop.

Behind the Scenes at PCST 2020

23 Oct 2019: Preparations for PCST 2020, to be held in Aberdeen on 26-28 May next year, are in full flow. Get a peek behind the scenes with our interviews with PCST Network Programme Committee Chair Jenni Metcalfe and Local Organising Committee Co-Chair Heather Doran.

Call for workshop, performance and Speakers' Corner proposals

19 Sep 2019: Now live: call for non-traditional conference formats for PCST 2020

PCST Keynotes Announced!

18 Sep 2019: The line-up of plenary speakers at PCST 2020 has now been made public...

The Road to Aberdeen

13 Sep 2019: Kenneth Skeldon - joint bid lead for PSCT 2020 and Head of Public Engagement at the Wellcome Genome Campus - writes about the journey that has brought PCST to Aberdeen in 2020.

PCST Stories: Heather Doran

25 Jul 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. Here's one more story, from PCST 2020 local organising committee co-chair Heather Doran.

Professional territorial tensions at the 2019 World Conference of Science Journalists (or, perhaps, communicators?)

16 Jul 2019: Science communication meets science journalism at the 11th World Conference of Science Journalists in Lausanne, Switzerland. PCST committee member Marina Joubert reports.

PCST stories: Mićo Tatalović & Wolfgang Goede

10 May 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. These are some of the responses we have received.

10 reasons to submit to PCST 2020

7 May 2019: The call for proposals for PCST 2020 is now open. But why should you submit? Here are 10 reasons to get you started...

PCST Stories: Germana Barata, Cheng Donghong, & Shi Shunke

23 Apr 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. These are some of the responses we have received.

Brazilian science podcasts flourish in spite of financial challenges

4 Apr 2019: Roberto Takata presents new research on podcasting in Brazil.

PCST Stories: Aquiles Negrete

13 Mar 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. Here's one more tale!

PCST Stories: Jan Riise, Susi (Sturzenegger) Varvayanis, & Toss Gascoigne

5 Mar 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. These are some of the responses we have received.

PCST Stories: Jennifer Manyweathers, Richard Holliman, & Marina Joubert

28 Feb 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. These are some of the responses we have received.

PCST Stories: Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Simon Torok & Michel Claessens

22 Feb 2019: We invited people who have attended PCST conferences to tell us about the connections and collaborations that have grown from attending these conferences. These are some of the responses we have received.

PCST stories: Luisa Massarani

20 Feb 2019: In a new series we tell stories of members' experiences of PCST conferences and meetings. Luisa Massarani kicks us off with a life changing meeting in Geneva...

Diversity and Community – SCANZ 2018

7 Jan 2019: For their 2018 annual conference, the Science Communicators Association of New Zealand (SCANZ) wanted to see, hear and think about the diversity in all areas of science communication.

The future of communication and outreach for accelerators

13 Dec 2018: Members from the accelerator communication community gathered at CERN for a workshop on outreach activities for particle physics and light source accelerators. Daniela Antonio reports.

The 11th Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, 7–9 November 2018

10 Dec 2018: Through the Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD), an initiative of German science research organisations, offers an opportunity for science communicators to exchange ideas and expertise. Since 2008, the Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation has offered professionals in the field an overview of recent trends and strategies in science communication. The forum is an annual event hosted by a different city each year.

Navigating engagement in a (mainly) UK context at the NCCPE Conference

3 Dec 2018: ‘Navigating change as we face the future’ was the core theme of the UK’s NCCPE-organised conference in Edinburgh, Scotland last week. Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University provides an overview of what took place.

Elevate, engage and collaborate: Advances in Australian #scicomm

28 Nov 2018: The Australian Science Communicators (ASC) Association recently held their 10th annual conference—here are some highlights.

PCST committee members participate in NUCLEUS project conference

17 Oct 2018: Heather Doran, Alex Gerber and others took part in the 'New Understanding of Communication, Learning and Engagement in Universities and Scientific institutions' meeting in Malta.

Science communicators have a new open access journal

9 Oct 2018: Germana Barata, member of the PCST scientific committee, reports on a new science communication journal launched in Beijing during the Science & You conference in September 2018.

2018 PCST Conference papers

29 Jul 2018: Authors of papers presented at the PCST Conference 2018 can now upload their paper in full (PDF only). The full papers will accompany previously accepted abstracts and be included in the PCST Archive.

Video and evaluation of PCST 2018 Dunedin Conference

20 Jul 2018: A survey of registrants to PCST 2018 in Dunedin shows registrants were largely 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with the conference, but also have suggestions on how future events might be improved. The parallel sessions was the biggest source of complaint: the number, the way they were organised, and the content. Watch the video for a two minute snapshot of how the conference went.

Lloyd Davis elected Life Member

18 Apr 2018: Lloyd is professor of science communication at University of Otago in Dunedin and founding director of the university's Centre for Science Communication. He is a recognised expert on penguins, author of popular books and maker of films on these birds.

Hans Peter Peters elected Life Member

18 Apr 2018: Hans Peter Peters has been an internationally recognised researcher in science communication for over 30 years, and a member of the PCST Scientific Committee since 2004.

President Brian Trench at Dunedin opening

11 Apr 2018: Stories, and histories, connect us, even across great distances. Defined broadly, science communication is society talking about science. That could well be recast: science communication is society telling stories about science.

Scientific Committee election

5 Apr 2018: Fourteen members were elected: 4 from Americas and Africa 4 from Europe 4 from Asia and Australasia 2 from Any country but under the age of thirty-five .

PCST AGM

25 Mar 2018: The venue for the meeting was the main theatre at St David Lecture Theatre Complex, University of Otago. PCST financial members can see the agenda by logging in to their account on the membership page.

PCST and IECA sign cooperation agreement

7 Mar 2018: PCST Network and the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA) are pleased to announce the signing of a Co-Operation Agreement between the two organizations. PCST President Brian Trench and IECA Chair Richard Doherty have signed an agreement that commits both organizations “to co-operate with each other as international organizations working in closely related fields of activity”.

Rockefeller Centre hosts 'Theory-meets-Practice' Conference

11 Dec 2017: After a period of rapid expansion, science communication has arrived at something of a crossroads. Where to next? The aim of the conference was to provide a fresh focus.

Science in Society: the next 25 years

10 Dec 2017: In 2017, the international peer reviewed journal Public Understanding of Science, founded in 1992, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Leading scholars in the field were invited to imagine and reflect upon the future scenarios of Science in Society, discussing the main trends and challenges for research, publishing, science communication and public engagement.

New Zealand retreat to build on PCST ideas

6 Dec 2017: Next April, after the PCST conference in Dunedin, we’re planning a 4-day retreat near Wellington, New Zealand. It’s open to all interested in in the public engagement about science, STS and associated fields

PCST signs agreement with EUSEA

2 Oct 2017: PCST President Brian Trench and Markus Weißkopf, President of the European Science Engagement Association, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.

Rio hosts PCST symposium

23 Aug 2017: International research leaders met with science communication researchers from Latin America to talk about trust, current trends in research, social media and dialogue in science communication.

Putting science into society and society into science communication

1 Aug 2017: We are excited to announce that Professor Maja Horst from the University of Copenhagen will kick off Day 4 (6 April) of [External link]PCST 2018, which is themed around SOCIETY. Professor Horst not only has a strong research interest in science and society: she wrote the book on it! Her book, Science Communication: Culture, Identity and Citizenship (co-authored with Sarah Davies) was published just last year. Come and learn from an expert.

Special JCOM issue on the history of science comms

20 Jul 2017: JCOM is an open access journal on science communication. Since the world of communication and the scientific community are now undergoing a rapid and uncertain transition, JCOM wants to provide some theoretical guidelines both for scholars and practitioners in the field of public communication of science and technology.

PCST backs events in Brazil, Italy, England

1 Jul 2017: PCST Network announces its support to three events taking place July-November 2017. All of these events are organised by members of the PCST Scientific Committee and all address in different ways the state of research in science communication and its relations with practice.

Call for proposals: 2018 PCST Conference

13 Mar 2017: The PCST Network invites you to submit proposals for presentations at the PCST Conference 2018 in New Zealand, 4–6 April 2018. Update: The Call for proposals has now closed.

PCST and RedPop sign agreement

15 Feb 2017: PCST Network is delighted to announce that it has signed a Co-Operation Agreement with RedPop, the science communication network for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Feedback on PCST Conference, Istanbul

3 Oct 2016: More than half of the registered delegates (318) to the April 2016 PCST Conference in Istanbul Turkey responded to an online survey seeking their feedback about the conference. What did participants like? What suggestions do they have for future conferences?

PCST symposium in Latin America

20 Aug 2016: Science communicators from across Latin America met in San José, Costa Rica, on 28-30 September to discuss science communication as a profession: training, responsibilities and roles.

Gultekin Cakmakci elected life member

31 May 2016: Gultekin Cakmakci has been elected a life member of the PCST Network. PCST President Brian Trench said that Gultekin did an outstanding job in difficult circumstances as Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the PCST Conference in Istanbul.

Istanbul a 'safe and successful conference'

15 May 2016: The PCST Network is proud to have presented a safe and successful PCST 2016 conference that was attended in Istanbul last month by 300 people from over 40 countries.

Fresh faces elected to PCST Scientific Committee

15 May 2016: Candidates from Mexico, Israel, England, Colombia, Germany and USA have joined the Committee in elections held in April.

Discount on PUS journal – for PCST members

15 May 2016: PCST members will receive a discount of 37.5% on the individual print subscription to the journal, Public Understanding of Science.

Lewenstein plenary in Istanbul: Expertise, democracy and science communication

15 May 2016: "What is PCST for? I want to argue that PCST is fundamentally a tool of democracy, a tool for strengthening the ability of citizens to govern themselves in open, transparent ways that serve social justice. But thinking about PCST in that way faces two challenges..."

President Brian Trench opening speech at PCST14 in Istanbul

27 Apr 2016: Every two years we come together to take stock, to hear new ideas and reconsider familiar ones, to meet new colleagues and friends and refresh existing relations. Over nearly thirty years now, we have met in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Latin America, North America and Europe.

Papers from early PCST conferences now online

21 Apr 2016: PCST Network is delighted to announce that the world's largest collection of papers on science communication is now online and ready for use.

Location of PCST 2020 conference

25 Mar 2016: The Committee considered three bids from cities wishin to host the PCST Conference in 2010, at its meeting in Istanbul in April. A preliminary decision has been made, but we are waiting on further details from the successful bidder before confirming the lsuccessful city.

Trouble logging in to PCST?

17 Dec 2015: Subscribers to the discussion list and financial members of PCST sometimes need to update their email address. Authors may want to amend their abstracts for Istanbul. Here's how you do it...

PCST Life Members elected

4 Sep 2015: Twelve members of the PCST community have been honoured by their election as Life Members of the Network.

Discussion list

24 Feb 2014: The PCST discussion list is free to subscribers. Use it to send messages and announcements, or ask questions, or start a debate. There is a second discussion list for postgraduate researchers in science communication.

Invitation to join the PCST Network

26 Jan 2014: We invite people from round the world to join the PCST Network as members, to have a say in how the Network is organised. Members of the PCST Network elect the Scientific Committee and vote on decisions to set the direction of the PCST Network. Members can stand for election to the Scientific Committee.