The past decade has seen an erosion of public debate, a radicalisation of parts of society and the spread of misinformation. Such phenomena often occur and are exacerbated during crises, and the pandemic has shown this again. These tendencies question the value of evidence and the role of science in society. Universities need to position themselves on this issue and find new and more effective ways to help counter this trend.
Making the scientific method understandable and fostering scientific literacy in society is becoming increasingly important, and it goes beyond the traditional approach of science communication to explain scientific facts and results to a wider public. How can universities and the academic community contribute to this process and foster public debate? What is the role of science communication professionals in this regard? These and more questions will be addressed in the second webinar of the series.
Speakers:
- David Budtz Pedersen, Professor at the Department of Communications and Psychology, Aalborg University, Denmark
- Maria Tulin, Postdoctoral Researcher, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Fabrice Rousselot, Editor in Chief, The Conversation France, France
- Marjan Doom, Director, Ghent University Museum, Belgium
Moderation: Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik, Deputy Director for Policy Coordination and Foresight, EUA
EUA webinar series: Universities and democracy: how to strengthen a crucial relationship
Universities work best in democracies, and democracies need open and engaged universities working in the service of society.
Following on from the reflections in the democracy chapter of EUA’s “Pathways to the future” publication, this webinar series will further explore the relationship between universities and democracy along three themes: civic engagement; scientific literacy and the future of science communication; and evidence-based policy making and science advice in times of uncertainty.
- 5 May 2022 – Webinar I: Universities and civic engagement – new ways and formats
- 14 June 2022 – Webinar II: Fostering scientific literacy – universities and the future of science communication
- 28 June 2022 – Webinar III: Contributing to evidence-based policy making – universities and science advice in times of uncertainty