Lotz of thoughts

(World Science Forum 2022 Cape Town )   Scientific and technological progress is a reality; sometimes, in some cases, faster and in others, slower. The question that comes to mind and is of concern is why these technological advancements do not reach society fully and how we struggle to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  In typical Global Young Academy (GYA) and Science Leadership Programme (SLP) practice, we see all challenges as opportunities for change, and our discussions for solutions start with "how might we...?" and "how can we...?". Then the power and responsibility are on us to make the change. So, how might we unblock the channels of influence of science and technology to unblock or assist more than we already do with greater societal challenges?  ..or how might we overcome the hurdles? I am sharing here two thoughts: 1) Communication of science And as soon as we read/hear this, we all tend to focus on how we, as scientists, communicate our fin

  Yes, I am an academic                                           no,  I am not only that Yes, I am a mother                                                 no, I am not only that Yes, I am a wife                                                      no, I am not only that Yes, I am a friend                                                   no, I am not only that Yes, I am a daughter                                              no, I am not only that Yes, I am a dancer                                                 no, I am not only that Yes, I am a woman and I am all these and so much more  More to explore... More to experience... More to feel and sense.... More to see with my eyes... More to laugh loudly about... More to cry tears about... More love to run through my veins... "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." Aristotle

 During my sabbatical year (yes, the one during the pandemic that didn’t allow me to travel much – no, I am not sour at all about it…), I had time to reassess who I am professionally and what I want to do in my career. In the end, I discovered that I am a cheerleader, encourager, and coach. “Yes!” I jumped off my chair and managed to wake Mr Charlie and Mr Toumba from their afternoon nap. “That’s who I am! I am an Economics Research Coach”. What does this entail, though? Students and students and more students. But wait. Is this not part of being an academic anyway? One of the definitions of the word academic is a person who teaches at a college or university. The mere definition of the word academic starts with the idea of teaching. An academic, however, is so much more than just a channel of transferring knowledge to students. An academic is one that produces knowledge and prepares those that will produce more knowledge. Coming back this year, I have started observing interac

  The GYA Science Advice Resource Centre is a platform that provides basic information on Science Advice. This platform is intended to be an initial entry point for Early-Career Researchers in Scientific Advice matter. The Science Advice Working Group of GYA initiated this work by integrating essential literature in the field of Science Advice, Science Policy-making, Science Diplomacy and Science Communication. For each of the fields, the platform provides a number of academic articles "translations".  My contribution to the database is titled " Red riding hood and the Big Bad Wolf: Advice for effective science communication ". Highlights of the summary:  It should be admitted that cognitive biases usually blamed on policymakers are also found in the scientific community.  There are three things to consider to establish an effective communication channel between scientists and policymaking: selective information to be shared, appropriate timing to act, and engagem

 “Stop saying yes to everything…Learn to say no….”  This is the first piece of advice you will get if you look for ways to lower your load, find a better balance in your life, and avoid reaching overload and burnout. Over the last six months or so, I have had the opportunity to work with a life coach via an academic leadership programme. Having too many things on my plate and being constantly busy was the first thing that came out from my self-reflection and how others see me. Let me get that right now. I need to stress that these things are related to all the extra things an academic does and, indeed, not the standard components of one’s job. Academics also demonstrate academic citizenship by participating in projects, associations, think tanks, and committees. Also, an academic’s job is flexible, which can be a benefit and a vice at the same time: it can be used efficiently to prevent burnout (Friday morning breakfast with friends is possible because I can work at any other tim