UNESCO Chair on Communication of Science and Technology

The UNESCO Chair of Science and Technology Communication started on Ordibehest 26, 1397 (May 16, 2018) upon signing a memorandum of understanding between Allameh Tabatabai University and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the Faculty of Communication Sciences of this university.
Science and Technology Communication provides the basis for establishing and strengthening communication between scientists, experts and society in various fields of science and technology, ranging from journalism and generation of media products to science and technology policy-making and handling the organizational communication of scientific institutions. Through engaging the public in science and technology sphere and raising public sensitivity, Science and Technology Communication can provide the context for gaining public support for science and technology, supervising institutions and scientific establishments, and increasing the influence of society in the policy making of science and technology. The Chair of Science and Technology Communication seeks to facilitate communication between the scientific community and the public through the involvement of journalists, professional training and the promotion of media products.

Based on the Article 1 of the Memorandum of Understanding, Allameh Tabatabai University has been designated as the host institution for the Chair of Science and Technology Communication, and Dr. Hadi Khaniki, professor of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, has been chosen as the Chair for 4 years. The organizational structure of the chair consists of a chairman, a High Policy Council, a Planning Council, an Executive Secretary, and a Secretariat. The chair also consists of four specialized committees, including the Research Committee, the Education Committee, the Publishing and Information Committee, and the Communications and International Relations Committee. All chair activities are carried out by these specialized committees under the supervision and approval of the Planning Council.

According to the agreement reached between UNESCO and the university, the Chair will pursue the following goals during its stay at Allameh Tabatabai University:

• Developmental objective (long-term) 

Creating a dynamic institution to promote research, education and to facilitate cooperation between scientific centers, researchers and activists in the field of Science and Technology Communication so as to facilitate the process of popularization and democratization of science and technology

 

• Short-term objectives

-    Facilitating domestic and international academic communication using the UNESCO Communication Network with the aim of promoting education in the field of science and technology communication in Iran and sharing experiences at the regional and international levels
-    Holding short-term training courses of Science Journalism to enhance the media technicians’ journalistic skills and improve the media literacy in specialists and scientists
-    Conducting various and interdisciplinary researches in the field of Science and Technology Communication to expand the media coverage of science and technology and other activities related to the promotion of science

-    Launching master's and doctoral courses in the field of Science and Technology Communication based on the need of the Iranian society to improve the quantity and quality the popularization of science and technology

The UNESCO Chair of Science and Technology Communication cooperates with researchers and research, scientific and executive communities in line with the following research priorities: 

-    communicative studies of science and technology and the respective institutions (universities, research centers, science and technology parks, growth centers, laboratories, etc.) 
-     interdisciplinary research in the field of science and technology (sociology, history, philosophy, anthropology, ethics, art, aesthetics, etc.) 
-    policy making in science and technology 
-    cultural and civilizational heritage of science and technology in Iranian Islamic civilization 
-    general education and public understanding of science
-    science journalism and scientific media productions 
-    science, media, and virtual networks 
-    science, intercultural communication, and popular culture
-    science communication and associations, networks and centers that produce and promote knowledge and technology (scientific and specialized associations, networks of specialists, science centers, museums, etc.) 
-    public relations in scientific institutions 
-    science diplomacy 
-    science and communication of crisis
-    Environmental Communication 
-    Health Communication
 

Structure

The UNESCO Chair on Communication of Science and Technology (UCCST) mainly consists of the following parts:
- Chair-holder
- Policy Supreme Council
- Planning Council
- Executive Secretary
- Secretariat
- Four specialized committees, namely
- the Research Committee
- the Teaching Committee
- the Publication and Information Committee
- the Communications and International Relations Committee.
All chair activities are carried out through these specialized committees and under the supervision and approval of the Planning Council.

 

Contact Details

 

Email Address:uccst@atu.ac.ir

Telephone No.: +9821 4473 7606

Fax No.: +9821 4473 7572