Contexts of Mediation in the Public Assessment of Technoscience (COMPASS)

This project is supported by the Nordic Cooperation Committee for Social Science (NOS-S) and involves groups in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Andrew Jamison is the Danish partner, and cooperates with Margareta Bertilsson, professor of sociology, Copenhagen University, who is the overall project coordinator. The ambition of the project is to explore the changing forms of mediation between politicians, experts, and lay people in relation to technology and science, and in particular, to the new technologies based on genetic engineering. Among other things, the project looks at experiences with technology assessment, scientific popularization and the changing roles of non-governmental organizations. The project was initiated in January, 2002, and will run through the end of 2004. (Andrew Jamison)