On 20-29 July 2009, the Center for Special Studies & Programs (CSSP) organized an intensive workshop on Scientific Writing and Editing at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA). Ten participants from various departments of the BA attended the workshop where they were trained by UK science writer and journalist, Mr. Ehsan Masood.

Mr. Masood, a consulting editor for Nature and a columnist for the online magazine OpenDemocracy.Net, said that the workshop serves as an introduction to general scientific writing and editing.

The workshop focused on science communication, placing a strong emphasis on practical exercises in writing and editing different types of material such as press releases, essays and scientific articles.

Moreover, as part of the workshop training, the participants attended several scientific events held at the BA at the time of the workshop where they had the opportunity to then write about them.

According to Mr. Masood, these types of exercises allowed the participants to get hands-on experience on gathering the information themselves, selecting the key points and reporting on them.

The participants agreed that the workshops variety of activities added a touch of research to the workshop and improved their understanding of science communication.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Masood teaches international science policy at Imperial College, London and writes on science and environment in developing countries. He frequently appears on BBC Radio and his books includeDry: Life Without Water (with Daniel Schaffer, Harvard University Press, 2006) and Science and Islam: a History (Icon Books, 2009). Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of Leadership for Environment and Development and has worked as a consultant to a number of organizations. These include: The British Council, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World.

The workshop is part of the internal training system established within the BA to upgrade the skills of its employees.