Infers Group: Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowship

Many African states, including my own country Botswana, have pledged to transform from resource-based to knowledge-based economies. Science research and development has been identified to facilitate this transformation. I believe this is an ambition which requires participation from all directions in society with strengthened research networks and ecosystems. My aspirations within this vision are to encourage an improved culture in science through encouraging participation and contribution from various stakeholders and community groups. I believe that better understanding of science and increased participation ushers better livelihoods, good governance and improved economic conditions. By extension a friendly science ecosystem really allows for improved health systems, where society is conscious of its involvement in science development and are able to drive and contribute to creation of health policies. Public Engagement provides that opportunity to society by creating science development that is culturally sensitive by allowing collaborations towards science advancement between policy makers, scientists, creatives and other stakeholders. There are existing challenges that hinder the smooth progression of such ambitions and vision. Some of these challenges lie with disjointed research systems that lead to weak research ecosystems in the continent. Even with a very young population that is oozing with ambitions and ideas that could help to improve conditions, African governments, business communities, and African people are not fully participating in science development. How can we ensure that the continent has adequate conversations and dialogue to reach the right people whom the science is meant to transform? My vision of the future is of a strong and friendly ecosystems that allow science development and participation that is beneficial to those outside research communities in any possible manner, and facilitated by strong and robust engagement. In Africa and by extension Botswana, there is unclear research culture that makes it unclear to communities and those outside research in Africa on the benefits of science. Research evidence is confined to research centres and is mostly known and understood by the owners, -the scientists. Are there direct benefits that are linked to science participation for people outside research production? My vision of the future is that of where engagement is further exploited to demonstrate to societies benefits of involvement in research participation and development, proving how communities can benefit from science as a point of trade in the process of its development with sincerity from both parties. There must be a future that brings stakeholders together in the science development process, policy makers, business communities, civil societies, media fraternity, the creative industry and the public. In the process of creating these science ecosystems, technology, culture, arts and creative industries must form the engagement policy agenda. The three areas will ensure inclusive engagement and be sensitive to people’s perspectives through ethnographic point of view. New technology, such as mobile app technology, are to be exploited to strengthen engagement. The arts/creatives can be utilised to create a new culture of science participation. This approach can change the public's experience and interaction with science, more importantly on health sciences.

Programme: Public Engagement Fellowship

Source: The Wellcome Trust, 360Giving data via the 360Giving API, published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Read from https://api.threesixtygiving.org/api/v1/org/GB-CHC-210183/grants_made/?limit=1000&offset=19000. Reshaped by All Business Africa into this record; amounts and currency are as the funder states them.