Public & Science Sweden’s Secretary General, Ulrika Björkstén, participated in a seminar hosted by our member, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), in October 2025. The seminar brought together leading voices from Sweden, Europe, and the U.S. to discuss the erosion of public trust in science, the pressures on academic freedom, and how universities can uphold integrity, democracy, and social responsibility.
The president of IVA and moderator, Sylvia Schwaag Serger, opened by warning of a widening divide between science and society, noting that public confidence cannot be taken for granted. She cited Gallup data showing that in the U.S., only 35% now consider higher education “very important,” an 18-point drop in just six years, which she called a “striking and concerning” trend. At the same time, she emphasised that Sweden remains comparatively strong, as reflected, for example, in Public & Science Sweden´s annual Science Barometer.
Science communication must be part of the whole research process
Anna Maria Fleetwood, senior advisor at the Swedish Research Council, stressed that trust in science is essential for democracy and highlighted the importance of science communication initiatives such as the Researchers’ Grand Prix and ForskarFredag, European Researchers’ Night in Sweden, both run by Public & Science, which connect researchers and the public. She warned that trust in science is being increasingly tested as misinformation and disinformation spread, and stressed that science communication is not something researchers should do at the beginning or the end of their projects. It must be part of the whole research process.
Marie-Laure Salles, Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute, highlighted both internal and external threats to academic freedom— from “publish-or-perish” pressures to politicised funding — arguing that science must serve the public good, not ideology or profit. She called for European-wide action, stating:
“Academic freedom should be enshrined as a fundamental constitutional principle… Universities must adopt charters and training programs to make freedom operational.”
Richard Murray, Professor at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), shared a U.S. perspective on tenure and trust. He described academic freedom as a form of trust between universities and scholars, now strained by bureaucracy and short-term incentives.
If you want to gain trust in the public, you must first gain trust among scientists
In the panel discussion, Professor Björn Ottersten of the University of Luxembourg stressed that trust in science is linked to trust in institutions and accessibility. He praised Europe’s more open research system and the European Research Council (ERC) for supporting curiosity-driven research:
“If you want to gain trust in the public, you must first gain trust among scientists.”
Ulrika Björkstén of Public & Science highlighted differences between Europe and the U.S., noting that in Europe, polarisation is less about knowledge and more about values. She argued that transparency during Sweden’s pandemic response actually increased public trust:
“Uncertainties were constantly discussed in public, and that openness built confidence.”
She also reflected that science is power. Academic freedom is a separation of powers; academic power must remain distinct from political power.
Trust in science and academic freedom are mutually dependent
Finally, Sylvia Schwaag Serger concluded that protecting science from society would signal a deeper democratic failure:
“If we come to a point where we think we have to protect science from society or from the government, that’s when society itself is in trouble.”
The seminar concluded that trust in science and academic freedom are mutually dependent. Upholding integrity, openness, and ethical responsibility is essential – not only for innovation and research, but for democracy itself.
