The Science Communication Observatory (Catalan: Observatori de la Comunicació Científica, Spanish: Observatorio de la Comunicación Científica, OCC) is a Special Research Centre attached to the Department of Communication of the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, Spain, set up in 1994.
This centre is specialized in the study and analysis of the transmission of scientific, medical, environmental and technological knowledge to society.
The journalist Vladimir de Semir, associated professor of Science Journalism at the Pompeu Fabra University, was the founder and is the current director of the centre.
The PCST Network seeks to promote new ideas, methods, intellectual and practical questions and perspectives.
Since then biennial conferences have been held in Madrid (1991), Montreal (1994), Melbourne (1996), Berlin (1998), Geneva (2000), Cape Town (2002), Barcelona (2004), Seoul (2006), Malmo/Copenhagen (2008) and New Delhi (2010).
The PCST Academy is responsible for the creation of the documentary basis of the Public Communication of Science and Technology network (PCST) and its main task is the selection and organized collection of articles, reports and resources on particular topics in the field of communication and social understanding of sciences.
The project focuses on developing and strengthening City Partnerships, bringing together 67 science centres, museums, festivals and events, each partnering with local authorities, and 10 European regional networks.
The project facilitates cooperation among these alliances to structure their science communication activities, sharing tools, resources and results.
The project will stimulate co-creation processes involving creators and scientists, and nurture youth interest in science in a creative way.
As well as delivering these core communication skills, ESConet workshops encourage scientists to reflect critically on the social, cultural, and ethical dimensions of their scientific work.
The interdisciplinary and multi-method approach will aim at establishing an integrated European Map of Public Ethics.
It is the aim to stimulate new, empirically grounded, thinking on public ethics as a contribution to wider debates and policy making on responsible technological innovation.
As a key data source, the proposal is based on the triennial Eurobarometer survey on the Biotechnology and the Life Sciences.
The Science Communication Observatory was responsible of the organization of the 8th International Conference of the PCST Network in Barcelona (Spain), June 2004.
When talking about various cultures we are referring to the different groups sharing the same language, same traditions, ideology or religion, inhabiting in a specific geographical environment, having the same job, or being a man or a woman, a young, a child, an elder… All this rich cultural diversity also reflects its stamp on scientific knowledge, in its creation and application as well as in the whole process of public communication of science and technology.
The main theme of "Scientific Knowledge and Cultural Diversity", included 3 subthemes or discussion subjects.
A Special Eurobarometer on scientific research in the media and a European Guide to Science Journalism Training were presented in this forum.