The Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (LRFI) has issued a draft foresight review on the public understanding of risk and is calling on interested parties to help strengthen the document by providing feedback.
The LRFI, set up last year by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the National University of Singapore, aims to achieve: increased public understanding of risk in everyday situations, increased evidence-based public policy making and decision making, increased informed public dialogue around risk, and increase in trust.
Prof Phoon Kok Kwang, Interim Director of LRFI, said: “The area of the public understanding of risk and communication of science is not as developed in Asia compared with the UK and USA – and the culture, attitude, and role of science are also different in Asian society. The LRFI seeks to lead critical research on the understanding of risk and to change the risk communication landscape in Asia.”
As part of this work, the foresight review examines how developments in the area of public understanding of risk might improve outcomes for individuals and society, to enable better decisions for a safer world in line with the Foundation’s charitable mission. It provides both an overview of the current state of knowledge and recommendations for promising directions for the nascent Institute so that it can achieve maximum impact in line with the Foundation’s charitable aims.
Prof Phoon continued: “As the final stage in the development of this report, we are seeking opinions and insights on the various topics explored. These inputs will not only help us to produce a most informative and compelling report, but they will also go towards LRFI’s mission to achieve the greatest societal impact in the area of risk research and communication.”