Science Meets Parliament
Dr Sanju Babu Reddiar and Dr Amanda Cross at Parliament House for the Science Meets Parliament event.
In March, several members of HRM were sponsored to attend the Science Meets Parliament 2023 event organised by Science & Technology Australia.
Our researchers joined either in person or virtually to learn about the connection between science and the Australian government, and strategies for our research to reach the broader community. They learned from several expert speakers and had the chance to meet other like-minded individuals. Our members enjoyed the opportunity to learn about a different perspective to science, and they reflected on their favourite parts of the event.
Dr Amanda Cross’ favourite parts of the event were “getting to talk about healthcare and the vital role for pharmacists with Dr Gordon Reid MP, meeting the Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, and networking with amazing scientists from around Australia."
"Attending the Science Meets Parliament event was a delightful and informative experience,” says Dr Sanju Babu Reddiar. “It offered a unique opportunity to learn about the intersection of science and politics whilst connecting with like-minded individuals.” Sanju had the pleasure of travelling to Canberra, and enjoyed attending the event and the Gala Dinner at the Parliament House. She says that “these interactions led to engaging conversations and provided an opportunity to make new connections. I left feeling inspired and more aware of the importance of connecting with policymakers."
Our members found learning about different communication styles particularly useful. “The speakers were engaging,” Dr Natalie Diepenhorst says. “They shared great examples of how to communicate effectively in a pitch style. I’m certainly inspired to start practising my research pitch to anyone willing to listen!”
Dr Ghizal Siddiqui found learning how to communicate in writing with a parliamentarian very useful. She loved learning more about “how to write a proposal that will generate wonder and curiosity in the senator reading your simple proposal.” One particularly useful strategy she found was when writing, you “should have had a "parent-check" - so if your parents can understand it, then certainly the senator would.”
Dr Amandeep Kaur also found this experience eye-opening, and “realised that it's important to engage with everyone, not just those whose beliefs align with ours.”
Overall, our researchers were very grateful for the opportunity to attend, leaving the event with new skills and an open mind.
“Learning about the skills for interacting with politicians, storytelling, and engaging with the media were invaluable”, says Dr Kaur.
HRM collectively would like to thank everyone who generously supported our members to attend this valuable event.
Follow us on Twitter @HRM_MIPS to get the latest updates on our events.