The young scientists, post-graduate and post-doc, were brought to Switzerland through the British Council’s network and have been prepared for interacting with politicians, business leaders and the public with the successful formula that generated the acclaimed Berne Manifesto on Climate Change in 2005. In a series of workshops conducted by BBC news correspondent Nick Higham and academic and creative writing teacher Franz Andres Morrissey from the University of Berne, they were trained in communicating science and research findings. These workshops were supplemented by sessions with senior scientists and policy makers in order to gain insights into what the public expects from scientists and how they can answer the questions that decision makers will pose to them.

Paul Munden, British poet and Director of the National Association of Writers in Education, has acted as outside observer/commentator at previous workshops and conferences for the British Council. Many of the poems that he has written as a reaction to being confronted with topics related to science and its impact on society have been published by the British Council.

Prof. Dr. em. Gian-Reto Plattner was a States Councillor for BaselCity from 1991 to 2003  and President of the States Council in 2002/3. He was Vice-Rector (research) and Professor of Physics at the University of Basel and established various institutions which mediate between politics and science. Furthermore, he has been active in a variety of areas relating to energy sources of the future and the protection of the environment, with a focus on climate.

For further information please contact The British Council in Berne
The British Council, Sennweg 2,
Postfach 532, 3000 Berne 9, Switzerland
science@britishcouncil.ch
031 560 37 96