University of Primorska’s TV crew interviewed STARBIOS2’s Elena Buzan, Carla Montesano and Vittorio Colizzi in connection with the STARBIOS2 steering committee meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia. This is what they had to say.
This content was first published on the University of Primorska website (in Slovenian).
Open science is not only open access to scientific literature, but includes open access to data, methodology, reviews and to educational resources. In the past two decades, the biosciences has advanced and produced discoveries like that have significantly improved our quality of life. But with rapid developments comes public concern. STARBIOS2 is looking to bridge this gap between science and society.
To ensure appropriate and ethical societal advancement, well-trained scientists and open science are essential parts to the process.
Elena Buzan
In the interview, Elena Buzan describes that we are witnessing remarkable development of biological sciences, which is on one hand inspiring, and on the other concerning, as we know that new technologies always pose a certain risk.
She continues to say that this enlarges the need for a new generation of scientists and a new responsible approach to open science. This approach involves different stakeholders and, above all, society in research development and decision-making processes. We are developing gene therapies to treat genetic diseases. We are creating and modifying new bacteria and microorganisms to clean environmental pollution. And we are developing different approaches in biology to solve energy problems. These new scientific findings are of utmost importance for the well-being and development of society. To ensure appropriate and ethical societal advancement, well-trained scientists and open science are essential parts to the process.
Open science and responsible innovation are topical and very important issues guiding the development of international research policy and practice.
In the interview, we also hear from Carla Montesano and Vittorio Colizzi.
We work to construct the right environment, with the right leadership and methodologies, for a new generation of scientists to grow up in.
Vittorio Colizzi
Vittorio Colizzi describes how we work to construct the right environment, with the right leadership and methodologies, for a new generation of scientists to grow up in. The University of Primorska has the capacity and potential to raise this new generation. To avoid a lack of alignment between science and society, we believe that the EU needs this new generation.
Carla Montesano raises examples from her own work and describes how her team has worked in Africa many times during epidemics. From their experiences there, they learned to work with society. To work with medical health professionals and leave the hospital structures and knowledge. To help the local community carry on the work without them when they leave.
We do the same thing in Italy. Like in most of Europe, we have a vaccine problem. To counter it, we engage with society. We explain how vaccines work and why it is a problem that people are not getting vaccinated. This, for us, is working with and for society.
Carla Montesano
In the interview, Carla Montesano says that “We do the same thing in Italy. Like in most of Europe, we have a vaccine problem. To counter it, we engage with society. We explain how vaccines work and why it is a problem that people are not getting vaccinated. This, for us, is working with and for society.”
Next time the STARBIOS2 consortium meet will be in Cape Town, South Africa, 17-18 March 2020. Then, they will discuss with stakeholders how to transfer knowledge and experience from the 6 action plans developed in European bioscience research institutions to African bioscience research institutions and bioscience policy making. ICGEB, one of the STARBIOS2 partners outside the EU, is organising.
The final STARBIOS2 event takes place in Brussels 22-23 April 2020. There, the project will present their final results to the European Commission, representatives of related research projects and to key people and organisations driving the open science and responsible innovation strategies at the European level.
Read the full story on the University of Primorska website (in Slovenian)
