President ECOSF participated as a Keynote Speaker in the 6th Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP) held in Tehran, Iran
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The Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF) organized the 6th Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP) in Tehran on November 10, 2019. This international event was organized on the sidelines of the 3rd Mustafa Science Prize Award Ceremony. STEP aims to serve as a platform to expand the scientific network amongst the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) stakeholders of the Islamic World in form of holding international events and laying the groundwork for enhancing the scientific synergy and cooperation. STEP attracted a large number of eminent scientists and researchers to take part in thematic discussions, such as energy-water-food nexus, women in S&T, scientific collaboration, science communication and health, people & environment.
STEP held a dedicated session on the significance of Science Communication. President ECOSF, Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro participated and delivered his keynote on “Bridging Science and Society through Science Communication”. In his keynote, Prof. Soomro emphasized that Science and technology (S&T) has played a central role in the human development, industrial growth and eradication of poverty in certain region of the world. However, S&T has mainly been inward-looking, thus giving rise to unparalleled economic growth and over exploitation of earth’s resources, which has further fueled the inequality around the world, he added. He underscored that S&T must adhere to inclusivity and address human needs to achieve synergy between scientific and societal progress.
Prof. Soomro further underlined the important aspects of science and society and how effective science communication can play its role to bridge the gap between the scientific world and general public and exposes them to real world problems. In the end, he proposed the way forward and recommendations to establish strong linkages and build synergy among scientists, communities and individuals in the Islamic World to build a network of effective science communication.
It is important to mention that Prof. Soomro also participated as a panelist in one of the sessions on "Science Communication in Islamic Countries: Towards an Effective Network". After the session on Science Communication, President ECOSF Prof. Soomro was interviewed by the local TV IRIB on the significance of Mustafa Prize, STEP as an engaging platform for the scientific community in the Islamic world and science communication.