ISCW2015: Japan Deserves More

"Increasing the Visibility of Japanese Science in the International Media" March 19-20, 2015

Outline | Proceedings | Organizers | Speakers and Panelists | Program | Profiles

Organizers
Okinawa Institute of Science Technology Graduate University (OIST) & Japan Association of Communication for Science and Technology (JACST)
Cooperation
Research University Network of Japan
Date
March 19-20, 2015 (March 18 Check-in / March 21 Check-out)
Venue
Okinawa Institute of Science Technology Graduate University, OIST Main Campus B250

Outline:

Globalization is a challenge facing all universities and research institutions in Japan today. In order to spearhead the move towards globalization, each institution needs to not only leverage its research, but also to install measures that enhance its ability to promote those research activities.

In order for Japanese universities and research institutions to receive recognition of their individual research achievements by the international audience, it is important to have research papers appear in scientific journals and to appeal to the scientific community and the general public about those achievements through press release and other means of outreach. Specifically, issuing a press release in a timely manner so that journalists in Japan and overseas can write about the research is very important. This way, institutions can very effectively “spread the news” about individual research activities to reach the public.

In order to achieve this objective, some institutions in Japan have already installed a system by which they can disseminate latest research outcome to the rest of the world. They have hired experienced writers as communication officers or interns to turn what is often highly scientific topic into an easy-reading text targeting the general audience. However, instead of relying on the expertise and instinct of these communication officers, much more needs to be explored in a systematic way to generate international media coverage.

This workshop invites science journalists as well as science writing educators from overseas to present how science news is generated and how science writing training is taught in the West. The workshop also aims to provide a venue for information sharing among participants so that good practices, from the viewpoint of budget to personnel to institutional structure, are studied in order to help globalize Japanese universities and institutions through effective communication. Lastly, the workshop also discusses the domestic situation with regard to information dissemination and outreach.

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Proceedings:

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Organizers:

  • Neil Calder, Vice President for Communications and Public Relations, OIST
  • Youhei Morita, Associate Vice President for Communications and Public Relations, OIST
  • Kaoru Natori, Leader, Media Section, OIST
  • Saeko Okada, Senior Press Officer, Public Relations Office, KEK
  • Amane Koizumi, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
  • Tomoko Kurata, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB)

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Speakers & Panelists (In the order of appearance on the program):

  1. Neil Calder, OIST Vice President for Communications and Public Relations
  2. Valerie Jamieson, Editorial Contents Director of New Scientist
  3. Robert Irion, Science Communication Program Director, UC Santa Cruz, USA
  4. Euan McKay, Project Researcher, Public Relations Office, The University of Tokyo
  5. Norifumi Miyokawa, Research Planning Office, Hiroshima University
  6. Tomoko Kurata, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB)
  7. Saeko Okada, Senior Press Officer, Public Relations Office, KEK
  8. David Hajime Kornhauser, Research Administration Office, Kyoto University (KURA)
  9. Masaaki Hiramatsu, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
  10. Soh Osuka, Global Relations and Research Coordination Office, RIKEN
  11. Jens Wilkinson, Writer, Global Relations and Research Coordination Office, RIKEN
  12. Kaoru Natori, OIST Media Section
  13. Dennis Normile, Japan / Asia Correspondent, Science

See the profiles of speakers and organizers here. 

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Program

March 19

  1. 9:00-9:10
    Welcome by OIST President Jonathan Dorfan (Interpretation to be provided)
    <Overseas Situation> (Interpretation to be provided)
  2. 9:10-9:55
    "Evolution" by Neil Calder, OIST Vice President for Communications and Public Relations (PDF)
  3. 9:55-10:40
    "What do journalists really want?" by Valerie Jamieson, Editorial Contents Director of the New Scientist (PDF)
    Break (20 min.)
  4. 11:00-11:45
    "Training Science Writers: The Professional Pipeline in America" by Robert Irion, UC Santa Cruz (PDF)
    11:45-12:30 OIST Campus Tour
    12:30-13:30 Lunch
  5. 13:30-14:15 Poster Session
  6. 14:15-14:30 Group Photo
    <Domestic Situation>
  7. 14:30-16:00 Why do we care?
    Moderator: Amane Koizumi, NINS (RU Network) (PDF)
    Panelists: Euan McKay, Project Researcher, Public Relations Office, University of Tokyo (PDF)
    Norifumi Miyokawa, Hiroshima University (PDF)
    Tomoko Kurata, National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB)
    Saeko Okada, Senior Press Officer, Public Relations Office, KEK (PDF)
    Break (15 min.)
  8. 16:15-17:15 Discussion
    17:30-19:30 Reception

March 20

<Domestic Situation>

  1. 9:00-10:15 "How to Produce English Press Releases" by David Hajime Kornhauser, KURA (PDF)
    Break (15 min.)
  2. 10:30-11:30 Indirect Science Communication Tools
    How to use EurekAlert!, AlphaGalileo, ResearchSea and their effectiveness
    Speakers:
    10:30-10:50
    Masaaki Hiramatsu, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (PDF)
    10:50-11:20
    Soh Osuka, Global Relations and Research Coordination Office, RIKEN (PDF)
    Jens Wilkinson, Global Relations and Research Coordination Office, RIKEN
    11:20-11:40
    Kaoru Natori, OIST Media Section (PDF)
    Break (10 min.)
    Journalist:
    11:50-12:10
    "How Science covers the news in Japan and Asia" by Dennis Normile, Science (PDF)
  3. 12:10-12:40 Discussion
    12:40-13:40 Lunch (Eureka!Alert Japan portal users to meet separately over lunch)
  4. 13:40-14:00 Direct Science Communication Tools: AAAS booth, WCSJ participation
    Saeko Okada, KEK (PDF)
  5. 14:00-14:30 Discussion
    Break (20 min.)
  6. 14:50-17:00 Summary & Recommendation
    Moderators: Youhei Morita, Kaoru Natori, OIST
  7. 18:00 Get together

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