By Quetya Aubin
In a Haitian context marked by exacerbated socio-economic and environmental challenges, where science could yet be a decisive lever of resilience and development, the media InfosNation affirms one of its essential missions by launching the section « Science and Society Space ». Born of the urgency to inform, inspire and educate, this initiative is part of the original mission of InfosNation: to promote a journalism committed to the service of Haitians and Haitians, especially young people. It aims to become a national platform for citizen opinion and debate, dedicated to the interface between science, society and politics, to transform scientific advances into concrete tools for collective progress.
The imperative need for a science-society interface in Haiti
The creation of this section responds to a persistent structural vacuum in the Haitian scientific landscape, where the scientific field remains embryonic and largely dependent on external dynamics. As Alain Gilles observes in his analysis on the state and the constitution of a scientific field, « the Haitian scientific field, if there is one, almost nobody attracts », the few skills trained abroad often migrate to political or economic fields, to the detriment of national autonomy (Gilles, 1998).
This situation is described as « colonial science » the absence of an effective ombudsman state: « Political and scientific fields have always maintained links between them mediated by political power, whose state is crystallisation [...] Yet, as C. S. Jha pointed out (1985: 76), « the Third World countries [must] be fully aware that the absence of an expansion of science and technology education [...] will not even allow them to adopt technologies developed elsewhere » » (Gilles, 1998).
In Haiti, this state failure perpetuates scientific underdevelopment, with a limited production of 883 articles published between 1900 and 2017, mostly in international co-publication, and almost zero public funding (Emmanuel et al., 2020). This finding is corroborated by the state of research within the Haitian Higher Education (IES) Institutions, where Emmanuel et al. (2020) emphasises a « chronic underfunding » and one « low organization of research units », with only 24 laboratories active in the main universities (UEH, UniQ, INUKA), covering key topics such as water, environment and health, but without integration into public policies. The authors explicitly recommend « increase funding and policies »by allocating a percentage of GDP to research and creating a national agency, to transform these potentials into tangible societal impacts (Emmanuel et al. 2020, p. 45).
Similarly, Dubique et al. (2020) identify structural challenges: « The construction of Haitian scientific fields remains an open question, the solution of which comes first from the absence of the legal framework defining the functioning of the profession of teacher-researcher in Haiti, second from the lack of qualified human resources [...] and third from the absence of a structure that would lead a scientific movement pursuing cultural, institutional and political objectives. » (Dubique et al., 2020, p. 12). The scientific diaspora, rich in skills, could fill this gap, but its integration remains marginal, hampered by the absence of a dedicated interface. It is here that the basic scientific culture emerges as an essential remedy.
In the UNESCO World Science Report (1996), Francisco J. Ayala defines this culture as « all the knowledge and skills that every individual must possess to understand and appreciate the fundamental scientific concepts and their impact on daily life »stressing its role in the « informed decision-making » and« civic engagement » (Ayala, 1996, p. 7). For Ayala, she is « a pillar for an informed, committed and responsible society in a world dominated by science and technology » (Ayala, 1996, p. 10).
In Haiti, where scientific literacy remains low and the inequalities of access crippling, such a culture is not a luxury, but a necessity to democratize knowledge and anchor science in public debate. This heading aligns perfectly with the mission of Haiti Science and Society (HaSci-So), whose preamble of the statutes affirms the ambition to become « the Science-Society interface in Haiti, strengthening the investigative spirit in accordance with Republican ethics » (HaSci-So, 2024). Launched on 7 July 2024, HaSci-So aims to « promoting a basic scientific culture and equitable partnerships », linking researchers, civil society and decision makers, to counter the isolation of Haitian science (HaSci-So, 2024).
InfoNation, as a young and dynamic media, extends this vision by providing an inclusive space, especially for young people, in order to forge a « science-policy relationship » strong, as advocated by Gilles: « For the creation of a scientific field in Haiti, we should look both at society and that of the State [...] [via] the creation of a Haitian Association for the Advancement of Science that would take the lead of a scientific movement » (Gilles, 1998).
Objectives and modalities of the Heading
L« Science and Society Space » is a living bridge between researchers, their publications and Haitian society. Its objectives are clear:
• Promoting basic scientific culture and functional literacy: By popularizing the advances for a broad audience, inspired by Ayala (1996);
• Promoting Fair Science Partnership and Scientific Diplomacy: By integrating the diaspora, as Dubique et al. (2020) suggests, for cross-border collaborations;
• Integrating science into public policy: Discussing its role in climate resilience, sustainable agriculture and social innovation, aligned with the recommendations of Emmanuel et al. (2020);
• Stimulating an instructive citizen debate: Focused on science, innovation and technology for Haitians, with a focus on youth, to inspire scientific entrepreneurship. To achieve this, columnists will mobilize the tools of scientific journalism (fact-finding), scientific mediation (interdisciplinary dialogues) and scientific outreach (accessible language, multimedia).
Each contribution, opinion articles, interviews of researchers, analysis of publications, will serve as a vehicle for disseminating the work of the IES, requiring, for example, summaries in Haitian Creole, as proposed by Emmanuel et al. (2020). The section will organize thematic series (e.g.: « Science and Climate Resilience ») and anonymous calls for contributions, for an inclusive and anonymous debate.
Conclusion: A call for collective engagement
The heading « Science and Society Space » is not just a media innovation; It is an act of republican citizenship, echoing the spirit of investigation advocated by HaSci-So and the urgent appeals of Gilles, Ayala, Dubique and Emmanuel for a science rooted in society. On October 30, 2025, as Haiti faces multiple crises, this platform can catalyze a movement: inform to transform, inspire to innovate, educate to legislate. InfoNation invites researchers, journalists, activists and young people to contribute anonymously or openly. Together, let us build the bridge to a scientific and solidarity Haiti. With commitment and gratitude.
References
Ayala, F.J. (1996). Basic scientific culture. In UNESCO, World Science Report (pp. 7-12). UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000102930_en Dubique, V., et al. (2020). Constitution of scientific fields in Haiti : What could be the contribution of intellectuals living outside the country?_HAL. https://hal.science/hal-02982716v1/document Emmanuel, E., et al. (2020). State of research within the ESAs. CORPUHA. https://hal.science/hal-02963603/document Gilles, A. (1998). The State and the establishment of a scientific field. CONJONCTION, La Revue Franco-Haïtienne de l'Institut Français d'Haïti, no 203, 1998, pp. 89-96. HaSci-So. (2024). Preamble of the statutes of Haiti Science and Society (HaSci-So). The News of HaSci-So. https://hasciso.wordpress.com/ (based on launch and mission described in the founding documents)
Quetya AUBIN
Haiti-Antilles Pole, Haiti Science and Society (Ha-Sci-So)
Team of Scientific Partners for Research Communication (E-PSi-CoRe)
