Imagine: An Innovative Approach to Science Communication

The ’Imagine’ project was developed by the Delft University of Technology as an activity of the public-private-partnership called the “Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation”. Genomics and its associated technologies in the life sciences have a major impact on society and their impact is growing. Because these developments affect everybody’s lives it is important that people understand the main concepts behind these technologies and how they relate to society at large. Empowering people to make informed decisions about their future well-being, health-related or democratic and political, is a just aim of informing people about the possible social dimensions or influences of genomics (Waarlo, Brom, Nieuwendijk, Meijman, & Visak, 2002). However, effective science communication is not simple (Klop, 2008; Millar, 2006). Improvement of the communication between the scientific community and public remains an important subject for discussion and research and is a special objective of the Netherlands Centre for Society and Genomics with which the Kluyver Centre collaborates for the development of communication projects.

‘Imagine’ was conceived as an activity to improve education and communication for a broad public. It was first organized in 2004 and has since continued annually as an innovative science communication activity aiming to improve interaction between science and the wider world. ’Imagine’ has been developed as a school competition involving scientists, school students and the media to achieve tangible results for developing countries. Set in an educational context, it aims to promote inspiring science education by encouraging communication between students and their teachers, and scientists in developed and developing countries. It involves school students in a self-motivating, open-learning and multidisciplinary approach addressing the important social, ethical and economical issues in the applications of biotechnology for developing countries. On the other hand, the project encourages scientists in being active in public communication and in considering the relevance of biotechnology for developing countries.

Since 2004, over 500 school students have been directly involved in making business plans for more than 50 selected scientific ideas for applying life sciences in developing countries. More than 30 experts have been involved in the evaluation of business plans and presentations. ‘Imagine’ reached an extended public through over 175 media publications (newspapers, magazines, radio interviews) while a documentary was launched on the Dutch internet television channel ‘goeddoel TV’, a channel presenting welfare projects, in 2009. ’Imagine’ has received awards and very positive responses from school students, teachers, scientists, journalists and the wider public.