Naser Faruqui, director of IDRC’s Innovation, Policy and Science program, chaired a symposium on “Education, science and innovation as tools for engagement with the Islamic World.” One of the examples highlighted was the IDRC-supported Atlas of Islamic-World Science and Innovation. This study by the Royal Society explores the landscape of science and innovation in a variety of countries with large Muslim populations.
Faruqui also represented IDRC at a roundtable organized by the Canadian embassy during the AAAS to review and explore the enhancement of US–Canada collaboration in science, technology, and innovation.
Journalism-related events at the meeting included a press breakfast where IDRC-supported ecohealth researcher Margot Parkes participated in a panel on water.
Several journalists from the IDRC-supported Science Journalism Cooperation project attended the conference. This program aims to improve reporting on health, environment, agriculture, and technology throughout Africa and the Arab world. IDRC was also represented at a workshop organized by the World Federation of Science Journalists.
IDRC was part of the official Government of Canada delegation at the meeting for the second consecutive year. More information about the Canadian involvement can be found at www.science.gc.ca, including the Think Canada blog.
The AAAS is the world’s largest association of scientists and engineers. It also publishes the renowned journal Science. The next annual meeting will be held in Vancouver in February 2012.
