The full program for the National Conference is now on the conference website, http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/. Increasingly detailed information will be added regularly to the site.
The early bird deadline has been extended to 15 January 2012. As usual ASC members get a significant discount to the non-members rate.
The conference will be at Sydney Masonic Centre from 27-29 February 2011.
The sign of a good conference program is when it is difficult to choose between the parallel sessions. I’ll be torn between competing interests for every session and once again wish I could be in two or more places at once.
Day 1
- Opening keynote: Professor Ian Chubb, Australia’s Chief Scientist will open the conference and be the first plenary speaker.
- Before and after lunch: an overview of Inspiring Australia followed by an in-depth look at regional outcomes
- After lunch: State Chief Scientists will feature in a plenary and then in parallel sessions.
Day 2
- Plenary: Careers in science communicating– hear about career possibilities and resources.
- Plenary: Sophisticated Social Media Use & Science – continuing insights into how to use a range of rapidly evolving communication channels to communicate science (and maybe make a buck?).
- Plenary: The NBN and how to use it – a science communication perspective of nation changing technology.
Day 3
- Plenary: Three astronomers walked into a bar…Features a Video of interview with Brian Schmidt and David Malin, astronomical photographer – an illustrated talk– in an exclusive for the conference, Brian Schmidt, the 2011 Nobel Prize winner for Physics, is interviewed on video by Rod Lamberts. The discussion will interweave winning a major science prize with effective science communication of astronomy.
- Plenary: “Discoveries Need Dollars: Protect research”: A case study of a successful science advocacy campaign– explore how heads of science advocacy groups represent their members’ interests to politicians and government departments.
- Plenary: Science to Policy: War Stories from the Heart of the Action – the big wigs will be prodded to tell all as they are quizzed about the role and funding for science communication in their patches.
- Plenary: What’s the Buzz? What’s new in Science Television – get the goods on science for the small screen.
Other parallel session topics include (partial listing; PD means session has a professional development focus):
* Speed mentoring (PD)
* The consultancy game – a follow-on from the careers plenary
* Making a communication plan – a seven step process (PD)
* engaging with the media (PD)
* Philanthropy, fundraising and science communication
* Beyond evaluation (PD)
* Science as theatre
* Putting the ‘confer’ back into conferences (PD)
* The latest in research in science communication
* Science and art sessions and exhibitions
* War on science
Website: The conference website is http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/.
Online registration is active. See http://2012conf.asc.asn.au/register/.
Jesse Shore
National President