The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) is the largest biennial interdisciplinary meeting on science and innovation in Europe, for and with society. Each conference aims to deliver stimulating content and lively debate around the latest advancements and discoveries in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. ESOF brings together over 4,500 leading thinkers, innovators, policy makers, journalists and educators from more than 90 countries, to discuss current and future breakthroughs in contemporary science.
VA is involved in the following sessions:
Scientists as science communicators – What do we learn from large-scale researchers’ surveys for improving public communication about science and research?
13 July 11:00–12:30
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, science and researchers received unprecedented attention from the public and politicians in many countries. The public and political need for orientation by science and researchers in the pandemic also fueled ongoing discussions and prevailing demands for scientists to take on more societal responsibility and actively engage in public science communication.
But what do the scientists themselves think about science communication? How do they perceive their relation with and role within society and what is the reality they are confronted with within academia and scientific institutions?
This session will provide insights and findings from large-scale surveys on researchers’ experiences in and attitudes towards science communication as well as their perceptions of the public and audiences beyond academia.
Speakers:
Gustav Bohlin, VA (Public & Science), Sweden
Marta Entradas, Lisbon University Institute, Portugal
Jack Harrington, Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom
Liliann Fischer, Wissenschaft im Dialog, Germany
Moderator:
Ricarda Ziegler, Wissenschaft im Dialog, Germany
Balancing Common Language and Multilingualism as Drivers for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
15 July 15:45–17:30 online room 4
When we talk about multilingualism in research, we talk about human rights. The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits”. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU places an obligation on the Union to respect linguistic diversity and prohibits discrimination on grounds of language.
European policies for Responsible Research and Innovation and Open Science underscore the importance of broad access to research knowledge and interaction between science and society. While globalization of research benefits from use of common language (e.g. English as lingua franca), multilingualism in science is vital for interaction with society and sharing knowledge beyond academia. According to the European University Association (EUA), “Multilingualism is particularly relevant for Europe, as its research is characterized by geographic, cultural and linguistic diversity”.
Panel discussion explores tensions between and ways to foster internationalization as well as multilingualism in “the practice of science, in scientific publications and in academic communications”, as stated in the UNESCO Recommendation for Open Science (2021).
Speakers:
Cissi Askwall, VA (Public & Science), Sweden
Marin Dacos, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, France
Johan Rooryck, cOAlition S
Moderator:
More information and registration: https://www.esof.eu/
