Science Meets Parliament 2024
Back again in 2024, Her Research Matters (HRM) were pleased to sponsor a small group of members to attend the Science Meets Parliament (SMP) event organised by Science & Technology Australia. For several years, HRM has been sponsoring members to attend the two-day event filled with engaging panel discussions, workshops and networking opportunities. This year, Dr Monica Langiu, Dr Anh Nguyen and Dr Rocio De la Fuente were selected from a number of talented applicants to fly to Canberra to learn about the connection between science and the Australian government, and strategies for our research to reach the broader community. They shared some of their insights with us to increase our understanding of the intersection between science and policy.
“Science Meets Parliament 2024 was an unexpected experience”, Dr Langiu says, “it is an immersive experience, where life scientists find themselves mixed with geologists, mathematicians, engineers and much more. Everyone had their own stories and passions, and couldn’t wait to share the amazing science they do whilst being curious to hear what you do!” The program included a combination of talks and panel discussions. “We heard from politicians’ science advisors on their day-to-day work, and directly from politicians about their priorities about science and how to approach them successfully”, Dr Langiu said. Dr Nguyen found the interactive scientist-politician meetings a fantastic part of the SMP event. “The personal interaction I had with Senator Maria Kovacic was particularly enlightening, offering a deeper understanding of how scientific insights can inform policymaking”.
Overall, our attendees found their participation at SMP 2024 extremely invaluable. Dr Nguyen said the event was “not only a remarkable networking opportunity, but also a profound learning experience that will enhance my future endeavors in science advocacy and policy engagement”. Similarly, Dr Langiu said “the experience was probably one of the most inspiring of my whole life. I highly recommend anybody that has the chance to go at least once”. HRM collectively would like to thank everyone who generously supported our members to attend and engage in SMP 2024.