UNESCO Chair's 5th specialized session held at ATU

Report by the Directorate for International Academic Cooperation–

In June 2023, the fifth specialized session of the UNESCO Chair in the Communication of Science and Technology was held online at the Faculty of Communication Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU). Entitled "Science at the Service of Society: Role of the Right of Access to Science," the session was held online and attended by the Chair holder and students and researchers in the relevant fields.

Dr Ali Asghar Kia, head of the Chair; Dr Konstantinos Tararas, Programme Specialist at UNESCO's Public Policies and Capacity-building Section; Dr Angela Melo, Director of Research, Ethics, Inclusion, Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO; Dr Helle Porsdam, Professor of History and Cultural Rights at UNESCO Chair for Cultural Rights; Dr Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, Associate Professor at the School of Law, University of Ghana; Dr Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, Researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET) at the National University of Rio Negro; and Monica Plozza, Research Associate and PhD Candidate at the University of Lucerne were the foreign speakers and participants at this session.

The session was held to discuss the possibilities to promote interdisciplinary expertise and the strategies which might be used to strengthen the implementation of the "right of access to science", thereby reducing inequalities and ensuring sustainable development.

In the session, scientists and their knowledge were widely praised for their contribution to the fight against diseases, the discovery of vaccines in unprecedented times, and for helping to maintain the functioning of societies and economies. However, it was also added that the full potential of science is not used, and it will not be realised unless there is a firm commitment to prioritise human rights and their right to access to science.

In another part of the session, correct publicising strategies and their role in organisations were emphasized, and it was maintained that UNESCO chairs, and the academic community in general, have a considerable role in highlighting the right of access to science, publicising the latest findings in various sciences, and integrating those findings in upstream policies to facilitate the implementation of the right of access to science.

It was also discussed that there should be a paradigm change in this direction, owing to such disturbing trends as continued inequalities in access to science, lack of public trust in science, and threats to scholars' scientific freedom and safety.  

UNESCO Chair on Communication of Science and Technology was extended at ATU in 2022, and its leadership was awarded to Dr Ali Asghar Kia, Faculty Member and Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, ATU.