Our mission
The Science Dissemination Unit of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy, has been created with the broad aim of disseminating scientific contents to more people than are able to visit the ICTP, and to the public in general throughout the world, implementing and using new open technologies.
Among other things, the unit aims to:
- make available scientific contents produced at the Center by on-line means, for example ICTP Diploma Course On-line at www.ictp.tv
SDU at a Glance
The SDU is a concrete example of helping to bridge the knowledge divide in developing countries and across the North-South, in terms of applying cost effective open technologies for the dissemination, support and internalization of science.
The SDU addresses these main issues of great concern in the scientific community:
- The dissemination of scientific data and information.
This is necessary for the advancement of research and education in order to provide contents that contribute to the benefit and well-being of society and to promote international scientific and technological activities. - The scientific, technical, social and ethical issues related to the development, implementation and management of ICT specially in developing countries.
- The integration of all new and old on-line services to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and exchange of scientific information via the use of today's ICT.
- The networking and e-publishing for development, including Copyright issues, e-Libraries and the digital contents.
The SDU also addresses hardware and software limitations, and the skill shortfalls of staff in universities, research centers, scientific academies and ministries of science and technology throughout the developing world by providing grants for the low-cost production of scientific contents by institutions and scholars. Workshops and training on tools for science dissemination are carried out every year. Technologies available in a FabLab for rapid digital prototyping in science, education and sustainable development are also of interest for the SDU to develop tools to disseminate science world-wide.
