EUA webinar series: Universities and democracy / Webinar II: Fostering scientific literacy – universities and the future of science communication

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.