On 13 December 2024, Dr. Rejoyce Gavhi-Molefe, House of Science Manager, contributed as lead author for a chapter to the ICOM International Committee for Museums and Collections of Science and Technology (ICOM-CIMUSET) Special Recognition Award Webinar. The webinar was organised by CIMUSET and co-hosted with Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation.  It (the webinar) was part of the CIMUSET Special Recognition Award presentation. This prestigious award, granted in September 2024, honoured the seminal new book – Race and Sociocultural Inclusion in Science Communication – for its pioneering approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion in science communication. Science communication has assumed greater importance for science institutions worldwide.

Dr Gavhi-Molefe co-authored the chapter – Building Capacity for Science Communication in South Africa: Afrocentric Perspectives from Mathematical Scientists. The webinar aimed to share insights into the award and disseminate key learnings and transformative best practices for globally inclusive science communication, as highlighted in the book’s chapters.

During the webinar, Dr Gavhi-Molefe presented on – Re-imagining Inclusive Science Communication in Africa: Transformative Paradigm Shifts to Afrocentricity in Policy-Making and Capacity-Building for African Researchers. Her presentation explored the ongoing transformation of Africa’s scientific enterprise and communication landscape, driven by a fundamental rethinking of how knowledge is produced, shared, and valued. Drawing from the co-authored book chapter, she emphasised the urgent need for Afrocentric science communication and showcased how the Africa Scientifique (AS) Programme equips young African researchers with leadership skills and culturally relevant frameworks to advance inclusive science engagement.

The AS Programme addresses critical policy gaps and challenges associated with the dominance of Eurocentric models, fostering a more diverse, equitable, and impactful science communication ecosystem across the continent.

The webinar reinforced the significance of embracing localised, culturally relevant approaches in science communication, ensuring a more inclusive and representative global dialogue in STEM fields. The session recording can be found here!