On Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th March 2024, Science Europe, the FNRS and the FWO organised a high-level conference at the Palais des Académies in Brussels, entitled "Unlocking the power of science communication in research and policy-making". Held under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the aim of the event was to highlight the importance of science communication in research processes and to raise awareness of the need to address it more formally in both research programmes and policy-making.
The event brought together more than 750 people - on site and online - scientists, communicators and representatives of European and international scientific institutions.
On the programme for the two days: two sessions bringing together speakers on crucial issues such as the role of science communication, its current priorities and the incentives and obstacles to science communication in Europe. More in-depth angles were tackled in 'Deep dives', on how to communicate science to policy-makers, respect for integrity and ethics and the different ways of integrating diversity, inclusion and equity into science communication, or what science communication can contribute to the fight against misinformation. In a final session, several representatives of institutions were invited to present - in just a few minutes - an example of good practice and successful initiatives in science communication. These sessions brought together more than 60 speakers from European and international scientific institutions.
To close these rich exchanges, the 3 General Secretaries presented their conclusions and a summary of what had been discussed over the 2 days. Here are a few extracts:
"Policy-makers need the contribution of the scientific community to develop a particular vision of society or to meet societal challenges", Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the FNRS
"Scientists and the media must remind the public that science is a slow and iterative process aimed at converging towards a consensus by confronting different ideas", Hans Willems, Secretary General of the FWO
"One of the aims of this conference is to include these recommendations in the agenda of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union", Lidia Borrell-Damian, Secretary General of Science Europe
Strategic conclusions drawn from the Conference “Unlocking Power of Science Communication”
This position statement outlines specific recommendations addressed to European institutions, national governments, and research organisations. It emphasises the key messages of :
- The importance of integrating science communication within research and innovation systems, advocating for its prioritisation at national, European, and global levels.
- The necessity of enhancing researchers' communication skills, combatting misinformation, and promoting public engagement through innovative approaches.
- The vital role of science communication in demonstrating the value of research investments and fostering public trust in the scientific process.
