UNESCO Future Forum will explore new approaches to science education

Paris, 20 November

• © UNESCO/ASPnet

Quality science education is vital for building a country’s capacity to meet the challenges of the future. This is the theme of the next UNESCO Future Forum - “New Approaches to Science Education: What Role for UNESCO?” – to be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 25 November 2009 (Room XI, 3-5.30 p.m.).

What teacher training, which tools and methodologies are most effective for inciting young people to take up careers in science? The Forum will demonstrate approaches to making scientific learning accessible and enjoyable to students at all levels. It will also tackle the question of how UNESCO can contribute to policy development to ensure that governments make science education a priority.

Invited panellists are Edith Saltiel, former director of “La main ŕ la pâte”, an initiative launched by Georges Charpak, winner of the 1992 Nobel Prize for Physics, to encourage science education in elementary schools; and Christophe Galfard, theoretical physicist and author of “Le Prince des Nuages” (“Prince of Clouds”), a novel that explains the climate to young readers, and “Georges et les secrets de l’Univers” (“George’s Secret Key to the Universe”) co-written with Stephen Hawking.

The Forum will be opened by Hans d’Orville, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Strategic Planning, and moderated by Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences. It is intended for representatives of Member States, UNESCO staff, NGOs, media and the general public. It will be followed by an open discussion with the audience. Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be provided.

The UNESCO Future Forum and the UNESCO Future Lecture series are part of the Organization’s Foresight Programme, aimed at stimulating thought and debate on future-oriented issues relevant to UNESCO’s fields of activity.

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:Media Advisory No. 2009 – 67
• 21-11-2009