Setting up the APEC Science Centre Impact Project

Background

Within the APEC region, science centres and museums have developed many exemplary programs and activities. However, although these are bringing about significant impacts for their local communities, they are often not being communicated more widely so as to inform and develop other science centres and museums in the region as a whole.

Project proposal

Meeting of APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group in September 2004 where the Science Centre Impact Project was formally approved as an APEC project.

Questacon, Australia's National Science and Technology Centre (part of the Department of Education, Science and Training) developed a proposal for a three-year project to study the impacts of science centre and museum programs and activities on their communities, and to capture and disseminate best practice.

The proposal was developed with the input and support of the Asia Pacific Network of Science and Technology Centres, ASPAC (covering the APEC economies of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; China; Chinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Philippines; Singapore and Thailand).

The proposal was also discussed with Executive Directors of the Association of Science-Technology Centres, ASTC (covering the APEC economies of Canada and USA) and the Red de Polpularizacion de la Ciencia y la Tecnologia para America Latina y el Caribe, Red-POP (covering the APEC economies of Chile; Mexico; and Peru), who agreed to support the project by promoting involvement by their member institutions.

Approval for the proposal

Following a proposal from the Australian Science Minister at the APEC Science Ministers' Meeting in New Zealand in March 2004, the Science Centre Impact Project was officially approved at the APEC Industrial Science and Technology Working Group (ISTWG) Meeting in Singapore in September 2004.

The self-funded project is sponsored by Australia and co-sponsored by Canada; Chinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; and Thailand.

Scoping the project

A group discussion at the project scoping meeting in Hong Kong in December 2004

A Project Scoping Meeting, hosted on 4 December 2004 by the Hong Kong Science Museum, attracted delegates from 16 of the 21 APEC economies: Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; China; Chinese Taipei; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; and USA. This meeting discussed the types of input and best-practice areas that would be beneficial and timely for the science centre and museum sector to investigate, providing direction for the three-year project plan.

Institutions in 19 economies ('participating institutions') have confirmed their willingness to be involved in the project, and the Executive Directors of the three major science centre networks in the APEC region have agreed to promote the project and to encourage participation in it by their member science centres and museums.

Early project activities

Between December 2004 and April 2005, the following set-up activities were completed:

• An International Steering Group was established, with the following members:
  • Mr Chee-kuen Yip, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum
  • Dr Tuan Chiong Chew, Chief Executive of the Singapore Science Centre
  • Dr Wen-Hao Chou, Deputy Director, National Museum of Natural Science, Chinese Taipei
  • Ms Bonnie VanDorn, Executive Director of the Association of Science-Technology Centres, USA
  • Dr Julia Taguena, Executive Director of RedPOP (Latin American Network for the Popularisation of Science and Technology).
• Ms Ilze Groves was selected and appointed as Project Officer to carry out project activities under the direction of Project Overseer, Mr Brenton Honeyman.
• This Science Centre Impact Project website was established
• The report of the International Study of the Economic Impact of Science Centres on Their Local Communities was published on the ASPAC website.
• Two web-based contact lists were established, one for people in relevant government positions in the APEC economies and one for people in science centres and museums.
• An e-newsletter for the project was set up, with the first issue disseminated in May 2005.
• Projects and meetings in several APEC economies were identified, which will generate outputs relevant to this project. Approval has been negotiated to obtain reports and data for use in this project from relevant organisations, including the Canadian Association of Science Centres, the Association of Science-Technology Centres (based in the USA), the Public Communication of Science and Technology Working Conference in China, and a conference on socio-cultural effects of science communication in Korea.

Representatives in several APEC economies indicated their interest in hosting, as an in-kind contribution, a meeting to advance the outcomes of this project. Offers were made by institutions in Brunei Darussalam, Chinese Taipei and Korea, as well as by the Association of Science-Technology Centres. At the 4th Science Centre World Congress, hosted by Museu da Vida, Brazil, April 2005, several sessions developed ideas relevant to this project.