Qatar major player in Arab science renaissance Monday, 27 June 2011 03:16

DOHA: The World Conference of Science Journalists 2011 (WCSJ2011) opened yesterday at the Education City bringing together established and aspiring science writers to the Middle East for the first time.

More than 600 science journalists, researchers and academics have gathered to discuss on a range of critical topics in science writing facing Qatar and the larger Arab world.

“The Middle East was the birthplace of significant scientific and intellectual achievements in its Golden Age, and we are now witnessing a science renaissance in which Qatar is playing a prominent role,” said Dr Mohammed Fathy Saoud, President of Qatar Foundation addressing the welcome dinner held at the Carnegie Mellon University.

The event has also brought 60 Arab science journalists, making highest number to attend a World Conference of Science Journalists.

“Finally we have realised the dream of bringing the conference to a Arab country,” said Dalia Abdel Salam, Co-Director, Seventh World Conference of Science Journalists.

While, making the largest event to be held at the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development campus yet, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Dr Ahmed Zewail will deliver the keynote lecture to kick off the three-day conference today.

“Media and science have a huge responsibility toward society, and I am pleased that this conference in Doha comes at a historic time — the so-called Arab Spring. A new era for progress through the quest for and dissemination of knowledge is now within reach,” commented Dr Zewail.

The conference runs from today till Wednesday at the Qatar Foundation Student Centre, in the Education city.

A panel discussion titled ‘Energy, Water and Food Nexus: The Science of Optimisation and Sustainability’ in today’s’ schedule will explore how research, innovation and technological breakthroughs will affect global energy, water and food production and consumption. The Qatar National Food Security Programme, sponsoring the panel, will address regional challenges in food and resource security.

WCSJ2011, co-hosted by the Arab Science Journalists Association and the United States’ National Association of Science Writers, aims to raise the impact of science journalism through professional development workshops and networking opportunities which complement topical sessions where the delegates will discuss the most pressing issues facing reporting in the region and the world at large in the areas of science, technology, health and environment.

The 2011 conference was originally scheduled to take place in Cairo, but WCSJ2011 organisers made the decision to relocate the conference following the historic changes that began taking place in Egypt earlier this year. WCSJ2011 organizers received many offers of support upon making this decision, and ultimately accepted Qatar Foundation’s invitation to hold the conference in Doha.