Science and technology may provide solutions to many of the complex problems facing Canada and the global community: how to improve our quality of life, reduce our impact on the environment, and help our economy grow. Is there an ideal balance, for policymakers, between listening to the views of the scientific and engineering community, and respecting the will of the lay public? How can policymakers incorporate science and engineering into their work (and to what degree should they)? How can scientists and engineers optimize their involvement in public affairs, to improve the transformation of technology into societal benefit?
Universities, acting as centres of interdisciplinary debate, are uniquely positioned to facilitate this discussion.
The Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) of McGill University and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) are pleased to host the 1st Annual Science & Policy Exchange, at McGill University in Montréal.
We hope that this will become a forum for ongoing local discussion on science policy, and the participation of scientists & engineers in shaping it.