Dr. Fanie van Rooyen

Communications Officer

Bio

Dr Fanie van Rooyen is a science communicator with almost 20 years of experience who, after 8 years as a hard news reporter for Beeld in South Africa, developed a deep love for science journalism and -communication. His Master’s degree focused on how science news breaks and spreads on Twitter in real-time, and his PhD (science journalism) involved creating a field guide for the responsible public communication of disruptive emerging technologies like AI, Bitcoin and human gene editing. He is currently a research fellow of the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University and editor of the quarterly magazine of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

As Communications Officer for the Institute for Methods Innovation (IMI), he manages science communication and engagement efforts related to IMI’s social research and training activities alongside the Director of Communications. This includes communications surrounding several large EU projects funded by the European Commission. He believes that sound science and strong stories drive humanity forward. Feel free to ask him about anything related to news, writing, science and technology, film, and that Tweet that broke the Oscar Pistorius story.