A Training Workshop for Journalists and Communicators from the Scientific Sector

The two-day event was organized under the Component on Communication. On the first day, experts of different nationalities focussed on various themes related to communications: Claudia Salvi from Formez, a key expert of the Component on Communication, outlined the main Community communication instruments; Anna Rita Longhi from the Scientific Park of the University of Tor Vergata explained the guide-lines realized under the same component; Miranda Labella from Formez reported the results emerged from the training activities carried out in May with the application of the GOPP methodology, thus highlighting lacks and problems related to communications in the scientific sector.
Furthermore, external experts were involved and contributed to the seminar with different experiences on scientific communication. Mr Reza Zadeh clarified how scientific communication works in Great Britain, while Mr Paolo Gangemi from Agenzia Italiana della Comunicazione – Zadig reported how these agencies function in Italy and how through a specific mechanism, they deal with the dissemination of information about the scientific sector.
The wide range of interventions, different speakers from different countries were all factors which brought interesting hints for comparison and debate and which were developed, in particular, during the second day for the purpose of involving the participants in the activities. 
The participants present at the event were divided into two groups and assessed two different issues regarding the world of scientific communication in Bulgaria, namely “The use of innovative instruments in communication (social networks, blogs, facebook ecc.)” and “How to improve communication between the scientific world and the media”.
The two groups reported the results of their work and, in particular, concentrated on the analysis of the problem submitted and the elaboration of potential problem-solving strategies. In conclusion of the two-day meeting, so as to provide a concrete example of communication in the scientific world, an information documentary was broadcast with regard to the case of the Bulgarian nurses who in 1999 in Libya were accused of infecting 426 children with the HIV virus. The University of Tor Vergata had contributed to the investigations by verifying actual responsibilities, thus exculpating the Bulgarian professionals in question. The university had taken part in the campaign of dissemination of the investigation results.