Fertility expert looks at future for NI science

One of the world’s leading fertility experts has given his thinking on the way forward for science in Northern Ireland during a speech at Queen's University in Belfast.

Lord Robert Winston, one of the great popularisers of science on television, was at the University in his role as president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science which aims to make science accessible for all.

He was the keynote speaker at the Sciences Future one day conference which aims to be an initial step towards enhancing communication within the science community in Northern Ireland, hopefully leading towards a local strategy for the Province.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen's Professor Ken Bell said Lord Winston’s presence was important to the University which was highly supportive of the need to encourage a love of science and engineering throughout the education system.

"To many, science may seem remote from everyday life, but in fact it has an impact on all of us, every single day,” Professor Bell said.

Among those attending Monday’s event were Tracy Meharg, Invest NI, Irvine Richardson, principal science inspector with the Education and Training Inspectorate; Dublin-based journalist Leo Enright, chairman of the Discover Science and Engineering in the Republic, and Professor Ian Montgomery, head of the School of Biology and Biochemistry at Queen's.

(MB/SP)