What is SciCom Coffee?
SciCom Coffee is a monthly 60-minute online chat for women science communicators working in Asia to share ideas, discuss, and find solutions together about how to communicate science. It was launched in 2022 by Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe press officer Motoko Kakubayashi and Asia Research News Magdeline Pokar and Aya Kawanishi.
SciCom Coffee dates for 2024 (speaker sessions with *)
17 January | 14 February | 13 March*
17 April* | 15 May* | 12 June*
17 July* | 14 August* | 18 September
16 October* | 13 November* | 18 December
Guest speakers
13 March - Motoko Kakubayashi
SciCom Coffee co-founder and press officer
The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), The University of Tokyo.
Title: Reflections from an international science conference
17 April - Associate Professor Jen Martin
Leader for the Science Communication Teaching Program
The University of Melbourne, Australia
Title: Why scientists must learn to be effective communicators
15 May - Dr Helen Jamison
Global Science Media Centre (SMC)
Title: The SMC's global efforts and how to make science more global
12 June - Catriona Child
Acting Director
The Highland Institute, Nagaland state, India
Title: A Little Place in the Hills Decolonising Research In Northeast India - Nagaland's Highland Institute
17 July (17:00 Singapore time) - Lisa Chong
Director, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Title: Science communication at A*STAR
14 August - Dr Sinead Hsi-Yi Chen
Chief Executive Officer
Science Media Centre Taiwan
Title: An overview about science communication in Taiwan
16 October - Dr Catherine Diamond
International Communications
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Title: TBD
13 November - Dr Magdeline Pokar
CEO and Founder
Asia Research News
Title: TBD
Send us an email [info AT asiaresearchnews.com] if you would like to join our friendly chats.
About the SciCom Coffee Team
MOTOKO KAKUBAYASHI is a press officer at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), The University of Tokyo. Originally from New Zealand, she trained as a physicist, but then found that talking about science to people was more exciting and switched to journalism. Frustrated at how little news about science in Asia was available in the western world, she moved to Japan to become a science communicator. She has held posts at the Science Media Centre of Japan, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, and Radio New Zealand. She currently lives in Tokyo with her husband and two young children, and has therefore developed a mild addiction to Pokemon games and trains.
MAGGIE POKAR set up Asia Research News almost 20 years ago to increase diversity and elevate new voices in international research news. Her interest in science and journalism grew from her scientific research in Geophysics and reporting stories in local media and international science magazines. Being able to combine research and news is a dream job for her. Maggie is a Salzburg Global Fellow, Japan Airlines, Chevening and NESTA Scholar. She loves being on the beach, eating interesting food and music fills her soul.
AYA KAWANISHI is originally from Japan and trained as a news journalist in the UK. Having written and covered different topics at Chemical Watch, the International Network of Street Papers and Springer Nature, she decided to immerse herself in science communciation at Asia Research News which she joined in 2012. Currently based near Milan, Italy, she speaks English, Japanese and Italian. Loves to bake but believes the best pizza requires a stone oven and an excellent "pizzaiolo" (pizza chef).
