Communicating science is as important as doing science. Without due communication, there is hardly any worth of doing science. There are many different stakeholders to whom science is to be communicated- from peer scientists to policymakers, mass people, industrialists, business people to journalists. The more widely and understandably science is communicated to the relevant stakeholder(s), the more impact science has. Therefore, without any reservation, it can be said that science communication skill(s) is a necessary skill for scientists/researchers.
This essential skill must be integrated into the basic science degree, bachelor’s degree of any branch of sciences. Bachelor’s degree curriculum should include Science communication as a compulsory course and must teach how to communicate science to other scientists (scientific article writing), to mass people, to journalists, policymakers, industrialists/businessmen. Even if many of these science graduates do not do science in the future, they and society will be benefitted from this skill development. Because the basics of communication skills for science or any other aspect of life are the same. Developing science communication skills will bring improvement in overall communication skills, which will benefit society immensely. Hence those graduates will perform better in any job sector as communication skill is the mother skill essential for healthy relationships at home, in the office, in society. Improved science communication skills of science graduates will also help fight misinformation in science particularly and in any area in general. COVID-19 pandemic has made it vivid that scientists need training in fighting misinformation. Integrating science communication in the bachelor degree curriculum will serve the multidirectional requirements of science communication in particular, communication in general.
Without further delay and hesitation, science communication must be made an integral part of all bachelor’s degrees in Science around the world for a better world- a more understandable, less chaotic, and less stressed world.
