Science week: Aims to educate the post pandemic world

Science Foundation Ireland is calling on the Irish public this Science Week to share your experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and participate in a mass public debate to have your voice heard on what we have learned from this pandemic.

This is a unique opportunity for the public to inform how we would like our future to look in areas of our lives that have been impacted by COVID-19.

The results of the study will enable policymakers to understand the citizens perspective and to reflect upon often understated or hidden issues that have occurred during this period of crisis with a view to informing the design of future policies.

To facilitate the discussion, Science Foundation Ireland has awarded ADAPT, the SFI Research Centre for Digital Media Technology funding under the COVID-19 Rapid Response Funding Call to create and host the Choosing Our Future Public Forum.

The forum is an online participation platform that will be live during Science Week, which started on Tuesday  10th November and will finish on Friday 13th November.

The Choosing our Future Public Forum will focus on several topics that have had a strong impact on the lives of the Irish public as we live with the pandemic.

The topics include the future of healthcare, our towns and cities, education, and societal change. Whether it is the realities of home working and studying, addressing misinformation, harnessing technology to make our lives easier, and healthier, this is your chance to shape how we emerge from this pandemic together and learn from our shared experiences.

Prof. Luke O’Neill, Pete Lunn, and many of the expert voices we have listened to as part of our COVID-19 experience will provide their expert opinion on a wide range of topics, and the science underpinning them.

They invite the public to participate en masse and have their opinions heard. The questions posed range from the development of vaccines, to transforming our education systems, building sustainable living spaces, and increasing our outdoor physical activities.

The findings of the platform discussions will be shared with policymakers to support their efforts to form future policies with the benefit of the experiences of the citizen.

Commenting on the platform Dr. Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland said: “This Science Week we want to hear from you, the Irish public, on how science can shape our shared future. Through the online discussion on the Choosing our Future Public Forum, we are encouraging people across Ireland to join the conversation on how COVID-19 has impacted how you live your life.

As we respond to Covid-19 as a society, the role science plays in our everyday lives has never been clearer. In sharing your views on the platform, you have the opportunity to shape our collective future and the role science plays.”

Dr. Jane Suiter Director of the Institute for Future Media (FuJo) and an Associate Professor in the School of Communications at Dublin City University said: “ In creating Choosing our Future Public Forum, we are providing an exciting opportunity to capture the Public’s voice, to hear their opinions and suggestions that will help shape our post-COVID-19 Future.

The report on the study will draw from a unique blend of state-of-the-art computer science techniques to provide a comprehensive picture of the hopes of the Irish Public. “

The Choosing our Future Public Forum will be launched on RTÉ on Tuesday the 10th of November, with moderated discussions running until Friday 13th. Register now to have your say at www.choosingourfuture.ie.

For more information on Science Week, the platform, and the great variety of virtual events taking place this Science Week visit www.scienceweek.ie.

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