A new book ‘Communicating Science. A global perspective’ will be launched today Tuesday 15 September. It includes a chapter on Ghana.
The book documents the global emergence of modern science communication. It has 40 chapters, 108 authors, and covers 39 countries. It’s a huge book: 996 pages.
This is the first study describing how science communication has developed round the world. The book covers all regions and all cultures: advanced nations of Europe, Asia and the Americas, emerging economies like Russia, Jamaica, Estonia, Iran and Pakistan and African countries like Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.
The Ghanaian Chapter was written by Drs Thomas Tagoe and Hephzi Angela Tagoe, confounders of GHScientific.
They focus on how individuals have had a great influence on how science is communicated in Ghana. Highlights of the chapter make reference to StarrFM’s Francis Abban, host of The Horizon, a weekly radio show which hosts guests working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
“With a rich oral tradition, it is no surprise that radio remains a powerful tool for communication. As individuals hear more about what is happening in the country, they are powered to do more. This is how science communication has been a powerful tool”
The authors make note of eminent Ghanaians, past and present who have laid foundations that have allowed Ghana to continue breaking ground in many areas.
“Dr. Kwame Nkrumah set up the Ghana Science Association and the Ghana Institute of Journalism which was the first of its kind. Dr. Jacob Ashong set up the first planetarium in west Africa and Prof. Frederick Addai, he did with cocoa more than many realise.”
The book’s Chief editor Toss Gascoigne, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University, says he is delighted with Nigeria’s contribution. “The book is important, because we learn from each other, both successes and failures,” he says.