Polar research, young involvement, energy future, strong women in science, cancer innovation, biotech schools, exchange champions, biobanks, global health, multilateral cooperation, a climate change update and a spectacular view of the sun and its global impact are key ingredients for Science Week 2008 in Ottawa and Washington, D.C.
See full program here
Top speakers and exciting topics open Science Week 2008 in Ottawa on October 20th. Tora Aasland, Norway’s minister of Research and Higher Education and Marie-Lucie Morin, Deputy Minister of International Trade will set the tone. Professor David Hik will give us perspectives beyond polar year collaborations. Students on Ice from Canada and Norway will infuse youthful energy from arctic experiences. We will hear about science policy, energy technology, cooperation in space, a map of the salmon genome and more. Student exchange and institutional partnerships will be discussed.
In Washington we open Science Week with a luncheon on October 21, where NSF’s deputy director Kathie Olsen will speak about ‘Science and Education in the 21st Century‘. Significant women in Science will be around the table, and also contribute with keynotes. Carnegie Institution and the University of Oslo have both formed exciting biotech teams with local schools in Washington DC and Oslo respectively. From Berkeley we will hear about student and scholar exchange champions, covering many disciplines. We will hear about new global health challenges related to climate and energy scenarios from Sharon Hrynkow, Associate Director at NIEHS, and Bob Elde, dean at the College of Life Sciences at the University of Minnesota will give us an overview of the energy future.
Cancer innovation is the theme of TRISC 2008 – the second Transatlantic Research and Innovation Symposium on Cancer October 21-22 in Washington DC. World renowned scientists will present their results, and discuss collaborative efforts in order to get new diagnostic and therapeutic products to the patient faster and safer.
Finally, on October 23rd, ‘Norwegian Gold’ will be presented at the National Institutes of Health: Biobanks and long term health registry data series are of great value for collaborative clinical and epidemiological studies on health and disease. Topics will range from cancer to genetic diseases and from biobank infrastructure to informed consent and ethical concerns.
A global pool of talented students and scholars are seeking opportunities around the world in a range of disciplines. How do we cooperate and engage these talents in excellent and fruitful collaborative projects and activities? Research, innovation and higher education go hand in hand. Some hotspots for transatlantic cooperation are on the map, and a lot of multilateral collaboration is happening. Science Week aims to be a platform to create more.
Looking ahead to 2009, Minneapolis is a place where we have a Centennial Chair at the University as the core of a US-Norway cooperative agreement. A new honorary consulate is currently being staffed, focusing on higher education, research, innovation and business development across the Atlantic. Thus, Science Week 2009 will take place in Minneapolis - currently scheduled for September/October. Discovery, diversity and new energy - are slated to be key components next year!
Berit Johne, Science Counselor, Royal Norwegian Embassy