For the first time in its history, the 16th International Congress on Yeasts included a dedicated session on science communication — coordinated by Prof Marina Joubert of Stellenbosch University’s CREST.

The 16th International Congress on Yeasts (ICY2024) brought together leading researchers, industry scientists, and students from around the world at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 29 September to 3 October 2024. The congress — held every four years under the auspices of the International Commission on Yeasts — is the flagship gathering for the global yeast science community, covering yeast biodiversity, biotechnology, and pathogenic yeast research.

This year’s event marked a notable first: a dedicated session on science communication and public engagement, coordinated by Prof Marina Joubert from the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University. The session, titled ‘Yeasts and science engagement: Creative strategies for communication and knowledge sharing’, explored how scientists working in specialist fields like yeast research can communicate more effectively with diverse public audiences.

In her talk, Prof Joubert provided an overview of current trends and best practice in science communication, drawing on the growing body of evidence from the ‘science of science communication’. A central theme was the shift away from the outdated ‘deficit model’ — the assumption that public scepticism about science stems simply from a lack of information — towards more dialogic, trust-based approaches that genuinely engage communities rather than merely informing them.

The session also highlighted the role of storytelling, the importance of justice, equity, diversity and inclusivity (JEDI) in reaching broader audiences, and the emerging framing of science engagement as a human right under international law.

The science communication session was complemented by a striking science-art collaboration: two British artists who had worked alongside yeast researchers in the laboratory of Prof Diethard Mattanovich at BOKU University in Vienna shared their visual interpretations of the scientific process and of yeast research specifically — an example of the creative cross-disciplinary approaches that can bring science to new audiences.

ICY2024 was the first time this premier international congress was held on African soil, making the Cape Town gathering a landmark event for the local scientific community and an opportunity to strengthen ties between African and international yeast researchers. The next congress is scheduled for Madison, Wisconsin, USA, in 2028.