Institute For Pacific Asia To Lead An International Delegation To Japan In July
COLLEGE STATION —
Faculty and staff members from Texas A&M University will join museum and media colleagues from across the nation on a trip to Japan designed to promote public understanding of research.
The university’s Institute for Pacific Asia (IPA), in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota, received support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to coordinate the 10-day planning and consultation visit to Japan July 9-20.
“The principal objectives of the Japan visit are to identify, develop and design cooperative programs across the science, education and research communities that encourage public understanding of science,” said Richard Nader, a co-principal investigator on the project and director of IPA. “This summer’s visit builds on progress made during two previous visits in 2000 and 2001.”
Texas A&M has assembled a team of top experts from U.S. and Japanese science education ventures addressing public understanding of research (PUR), NSF’s newest science education initiative. PUR explores strategies for increasing awareness and understanding of current science, science that is “in-the-news” in the United States and abroad.
The project’s sponsor, Hyman Field, senior adviser to NSF on PUR, said “Our nation’s scientists are currently engaged in research that will have profound impacts on the lives of citizens globally…Yet few people even know what research is being conducted, why it is being done and what the potential implications may be. Universities and the scientific community must be involved in the process.”
“It is an honor for Texas A&M to be selected as the coordinator for this visit, and it speaks well of our faculty and researchers,” said Richard Ewing, Vice President for Research at Texas A&M University.
The delegation scheduled to visit Japan in July is composed of scientists, science education researchers, science museum professionals, and representatives from science media and international science associations. Representing Texas A&M on the trip will be Nader, along with Texas A&M faculty members Edward Fry, professor of physics, and Susanna Priest, associate professor of journalism. Other delegates include representatives from the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Science Museum of Minnesota, WGBH — NOVA, the Museum of Science in Boston, WNET — New York and Earth and Sky Radio in Austin.
Contact: Linda Edwards, (979) 458-4285 or l-edwards@tamu.edu or Rick Nader, (979) 845-3099
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