Science and Technology Communication for Development

D eveloping countries today face a wide range of needs, from more secure food supplies to cheap and effective medicines. One factor that almost all these needs have in common is that satisfying them adequately will not occur without the use of modern science. These same countries also face a range of political dilemmas—such as whether to accept the growing of genetically modifi ed crops or how to adapt to the impact of climate change—that also require a knowledge of science, albeit of a slightly different nature. From both points of view, development can be characterised as the process of putting scientifi c and technical knowledge into practice. Conversely, it is important that building the capacity to absorb and make use of scientifi c and technical knowledge must be placed at the heart of the development aid efforts if these are to be successful in achieving their goals. But knowledge will not reach those who can benefi t from it unless it has been effectively communicated to individuals with the power and skills to put it into practice, whether those are government offi cials and decision-makers, community groups and their representatives, or even nongovernmental organisations. Formal education, of course, has a key function here. But so does the informal education provided through the media. Furthermore, information and communications technologies (ICTs) have an important role to play in this process by reducing or eliminating the transactional (nonproduction) costs of communicating knowledge about science and technology. At the same time, it is important that the practice of science communication refl ects the fact that it takes place in social context. In other words, it is not just a question of conveying information, but also of engaging the potential users of that information. The need is to encourage dialogue and eventually to empower those to whom the information is being provided so that this information can be applied in a practical and useful way. It was with this in mind that the Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) was launched in December 2001 as a source, through its Web site (www.scidev.net), of online news and analysis about the role of science and technology in meeting the needs of the developing world. Much of the material we use is taken from the science journals Nature and Science, both of which provide us with free access for up to four articles each week, the selection being …