Prof Burgess, of the University of British Columbia's W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, yesterday gave a public lecture to about 40 people, focusing on ''Participatory Governance: Lessons from Deliberative Engagement''.
''They have major effects; the emerging technologies shape our future,'' he said.
New technologies - ranging from extensive use of cellphones to highly computerised human tissue biobanks - effectively ''created new ways to help or harm'' people.
And new ways also had to be found to ensure the community could understand and engage with key issues and raise issues of concern, he said.
Good governance also required that key decisions about the future of powerful new technologies should not be left only to the ''experts''.
Prof Burgess is an international specialist in using ''deliberative engagement'' with the public on issues relating to health, science, technology, and the environment.
Examples include use of structured forums in which participants have the opportunity to consider an issue in depth and develop recommendations for policy, governing structures and standards.
An approach to deliberative engagement, developed by Prof Burgess and colleagues, had since been applied successfully in Canada, the United States and Australia over issues arising from many topics, including human tissue biobanks, environmental remediation, and neuroscience.
This approach often involved working with a group of about 25 people who were given more information to deepen their understanding of scientific issues, and later discussed matters to highlight shared views, concerns, and disagreements.
His lecture was the first public event hosted by the university's recently-established International Centre for Society, Governance and Science.
