Training Seminar for the Identification of Problems and Communication Strategies in the Sector of Scientific Research

The seminar under the Twinning Project Bulgaria on "Scientific Research" held by Ms Michela Diodato, a Formez expert, was replicated for two days aiming at two different audiences, namely the employees from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Scientific Research  on May 13 and the representatives of the sector “Public Relations” of other institutes (Universities, museums, scientific magazines, etc.) on May 14.
The GOPP methodology has been adopted for the identification of problems and the definition of a contingent communication strategy in the field of scientific research.
The problems identified can be summarized under three strictly-connected categories which are dependent on one another and are branches of the same “problem tree”: 1.Mass Media; 2. Scientific Communities; 3. Civil Society. 
A dual problem has emerged: On one hand, the Media search for sensational news while they do not perceive scientific research as “interesting news” which are worthy being reported and disseminated. Subsequently, news of great relevance and high scientific impact are not disseminated and remain unknown to the public.
On the other hand, the “faults” to be attributed to the Bulgarian Scientific Community have emerged. It is a matter of fact that scientists do not comprehend the importance of communication (even though they criticize the negative effects of scarce communication in their country) and even those who intend to be active in this sense, are unable to do it in an effective manner. They represent a closed community, speak a difficult language and do not make efforts, so as to render it more intelligible. 
All this would have direct repercussions on civil society who does not perceive the scientific sector as a remote sphere of daily life. Currently, the “scientific culture” is not diffused among the population, even if in the past TV programmes and publications of the sector  received a positive response from the public. 
In conclusion of the two-day sessions, the need for a strategy aroused lively interest in the scientific world. At the same time, participants underlined the need to strengthen communication between Mass Media and scientific world.
The seminar raised great interest among participants and as a consequence, the results and conclusions will be diffused during an event to be held in Sofia on June 22-23 focussing on training for journalists. In this regard, a comparison on various communication methods in the scientific sector in Italy and Bulgaria was carried out.