Budapest to host the World Science Forum

The World Science Forum 2011, one of the world’s largest science diplomacy conferences, will be hosted in Budapest between November 17-19. This year’s theme is ‘the changing landscape of science’. Among the outstanding researchers and influential decision-makers will be Nobel-laureate scientists, science policy ministers, world leaders of science diplomacy, R&D investors and representatives of prestigious scientific journals.

The conference expects to hear answers to the global challenges of environmental protection, sustainability, diseases and famine in the context of new scientific super powers and emerging fields. Traditional scientific fields and centres are being re-evaluated, and the conference hopes to document these changes in a global dialogue involving the latest discoveries, the most effective operational models and the best practices.

Talks will be given by influential figures including the President of HAS and WSF József Pálinkás. General Secretary of UN Ban Ki-moon (video message); General Director of UNESCO Irina Bokova; President of ICSU Yuan Tseh Lee; General Director of AAAS Alan I. Leshner; Minister for Science in Brazil, Aloizio Mercadante. Even one of the astronauts on board the International Space Station is due to take part with a video message.

The three goals of the conference have been established as:

• Emphasising the significance, the social validity, the influence, and the responsibilities of science
• Fostering and maintaining a dialogue between the scientific community, society, and policy-makers
• Providing a foundation for finding authentic responses to global challenges facing mankind.

The conference will be hosted biannually by different cities all over the world, while returning again to Budapest every fourth year. WSF 2013 will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Click here for the official website.

Published: Monday, 14th November 2011 by Ellen Haggan