Doha Hosts First World Conference Of Science Journalists in the Arab World Next June

Doha, March 16 (QNA) - Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) announced on Wednesday that it will host the World Conference of Science Journalists 2011 (Cairo) in Doha, from June 27 to 29.
The three-day event, originally planned to take place in Cairo, Egypt, will be the first WCSJ held in the Arab World.
"Qatar Foundation has been a committed supporter of WCSJ2011 from the beginning," remarked Qatar Foundation President Dr. Fathy Saoud. "In light of recent events in Cairo, it was never a question of if, but how QF was going to help keep the event alive and indeed make it the best WCSJ yet.
Elaborating he said,''We are honored the organizers accepted our invitation and have put their trust in QF to maintain and celebrate the spirit of this international event. Qatar Foundation commitment for supporting the development of a research culture and dissemination of new science knowledge through Media across the globe has been always one of the our key goals."
WCSJ2011 will be the 7th meeting to bring together science journalists from around the globe and the first one to be held in the Arab world. The event is the only such forum in the industry and brings together science journalists to discuss issues of their profession, network, and to work on great science stories from the host country.
This year, the event is expected to attract over 800 science journalists working in print, radio, television and online. The program promises to tackle diverse issues from climate change reporting to the challenges of reporting science in native languages to the emerging role of social media as an outlet for science journalism.
For her part, co-director of WCSJ2011 Dalia Abd El-Salam said, "We are very excited to host the WCSJ2011 for the first time in the Arab world. It is unfortunate we cannot hold the meeting in Cairo as originally planned but we are thrilled that it will stay in the region. We are confident that, with the support of Qatar Foundation, we are on track to host the most amazing WCSJ yet," said .
"The Arab world is rich in science stories that are just waiting to be told. Attendees of WCSJ2011 will benefit from a rich program and experience, along with the opportunity to report on some of the best emerging science stories in the world," she said.
The event is organized by the Arab Science Journalists Association, the National Association of Science Writers (US) and the World Federation of Science Journalists together with sponsors from around the region.
QF will maintain the original spirit and program of the event and will add field trips highlighting local advancements in Research and Science, including tours and meetings at the Qatar Foundation Science and Technology Park, Qatar Research Institutes and Research labs in campuses of partnering Universities in Education City, as well as numerous local and regional centers of research and innovation.