Later in October, Dr Joy Zhang gave a lecture to staff at China’s Ministry of Science and Technology at the invitation of CASTED, the Ministry’s research arm. The lecture, titled ’The Comopolitanization of Science and the Search for a “Chinese Voice”’, drew on findings from this ESRC project. It reviewed the standards of ‘good governance’ in global science and put forward a candid criticism that China’s traditional governing approach had repeatedly failed to gain public confidence in its scientific agendas both at home and abroad. She further suggested practical ways to developing public engagement capacity and enhance openness at multiple levels.
Three of CASTED’s Directors came to the lecture and commended on the EMR training initiatives proposed by Dr. Zhang. We were also much encouraged by an email sent by one of the Directors who noted that such training was a matter of ‘urgency’.
Following her visiting-fellowship at the Beijing University of Technology earlier this autumn, Dr. Zhang will visit China again next Spring and roll out further training and idea exchange events on promoting public dialogues of science in collaboration with partners in the Chinese Academy of Science and Chinese Medical Association.