In recent months two shifts in public opinion have emphasised the importance of public engagement with science.

The disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, resulting from the earthquake and tsunami, has sent a shockwave around the world, and the German government has announced that the generation of energy by nuclear power will be phased out by 2022.

Surveys also indicate that the public attitude in other western countries is now less positive about a nuclear future. At the same time food shortages and rising food prices have seemingly led to a shift towards a more positive view of GM technologies. These shifts show, I believe, how people’s view of new technologies is altered by their perception of the risks and benefits associated with them, and how important it is that people have the opportunity to debate these issues, and have available to them information they feel they can trust. They also emphasise the need for governments to be seen to be assessing and regulating new technologies effectively.

I am pleased to be President of the British Science Association at a time when these and so many other issues in the public engagement field urgently need the informed questioning and debate for which the Association stands. At the Festival in Birmingham and during National Science & Engineering Week in March this year, every event involved the opportunity for questioning and challenge.

As well as encouraging informed debate we must do all in our power to encourage the young in the pursuit of a good education in science. The Association’s CREST Award scheme and the STEM Clubs, which we are contracted to administer on behalf of government, both set out to do this in their different ways. CREST provides the majority of the projects that are entered each year for the National Science & Engineering Competition.

We know that CREST is successful in encouraging young people to study science at university and consider a career in science. I believe the British Science Association is doing the right things, but a fast-moving world means that we need to strive always to do them better.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville
President of the British Science Association

Annual review 2010/11 (part 1 PDF 2818KB, part 2 PDF 3320KB)

Previous Annual Reviews can be downloaded here.