Qi Song
Qi Song, Science & Technology Policy MSc graduate and Geoffrey Oldham scholar, reflects on studying for a Science and Technology Policy MSc at SPRU.
Profile
Qi Song (far left of photo), Science and Technology Policy MSc, 2019-2020
Why I chose this course
I chose this Masters as a transitional degree for preparing for my PhD at SPRU. Before attending СÀ¶ÊÓƵ, I worked as a research assistant for the China Institute for Science and Technology Research. Having grown up in a village in north China, I am the first high school graduate in my family and the first togo to college, so it was not easy for me to make the decision about studying abroad.
Academic life
My academic efforts concerning the UK-China collaborations on antibiotic research could be regarded as a response to a milestone work, the СÀ¶ÊÓƵ Manifesto, which was led by Prof Geoffrey Oldham and his colleagues. As a Geoffrey Oldham scholar, I think the most important thing is that researchers need to take the “missions” upon their shoulders, which inspired me to focus on the role of science, technology and innovation(STI) for development during my Masters.
The Covid pandemic has also made me rethink the meaning of “innovation” that we study at SPRU. The discussions about the moon and the ghetto are still going on. In response to the global pandemic what is the role of science, technology and innovation in addressing grand challenges? How could international collaborations be encouraged toward achieving global policy goals?