Science & the City  ICGEB and BioAfrica launch the 1st international edition of Science & the City in Cape Town, South Africa, on 29 March 2022. "Myth Busters: Discrediting misinformation in Science" live and online.

Science & the City comes to Cape Town, South Africa

In partnership with the BIO Africa Convention, ICGEB Cape Town is pleased to launch the first international edition of ICGEB Science & the City, to be held in South Africa on the 29th of March 2022 at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town.

‘Myth Busters: Discrediting misinformation in Science’ is the topic of the first ICGEB Science & the City edition taken to the international arena.  ICGEB Science & the City is a series of open access public conferences on hot topics in Science. It represents a highly popular communications model launched and developed by the ICGEB, currently at its 7th national edition in Italy to bring science to the people directly from the experts.

Acknowledging the challenge society is facing with the overabundance of misinformation, Science & the City South Africa will take a look at the false or inaccurate information presented as fact, intentionally or not, which has reached staggeringly high levels. From COVID-19, vaccines, cancer therapeutics to GMOs, fake news, myths, and misinformation are at all-time high.  To ensure the public has access to factual and reliable information in science and research, there is a tremendous need to fight the scourge of misinformation and empower people to distinguish between Facts and Fake news.

Discussions led by the panel of experts include Dr Lara Donaldson (ICGEB Cape Town Group Leader – Plant Systems Biology), Prof Mosa Moshabela (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban), Dr David Phaho (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town), and Dr Rasigan Maharajh (Chief Director: Institute for Economic Research and Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria). The discussion will be moderated by Dr Nhlanhla Msomi (South Africa Governor to ICGEB; President AfricaBio and Biotechnology specialist).

This citizen science event will be taking place live at the Centre for the Book in Cape Town and in live streaming online. The Organisers encourage the press, researchers, scientists, policy makers, science communicators, students and the general public alike to take part and engage in debate and discussion.

Registration for in person presence is required at this link and here for the online webinar. The event will be streamed live and podcast on the ICGEB and BioAfrica Facebook pages and on YouTube.

ICGEB Science & the City – 29 March 2022 PDF

Watch the event recording – 29 March 2022