24.04.2023Science, media, lobbying and policymaking: being challenged as a scientist

"How I can get my research findings out of academia – and feel good about it."

Many political and social decisions in a democracy depend on scientific knowledge. For this reason, scientific institutions and its collaborators are expected to communicate the results of their research in a comprehensible way.
Are you doing research on a democracy relevant topic and have exciting things to say about it? Would you like to learn how to communicate your knowledge outside of your comfort zone? Are you wondering what obstacles you face when contacting media professionals, politicians, lobbyists or civil servants and how to overcome them?
A concern for many researchers working in science is to find ways to talk and write about their own research results in order to reach a broader audience and share their expertise in public. However, this is not always successful and not always without communication difficulties.
This half-day introductory workshop will guide you on this path. Together, we will discuss successful communication strategies for science content. For this, participants will select an aspect of their personal research that lends itself to broader communication.
During the workshop, we will address problems and offer possible solutions. In class and in small groups, you will practice in short exercises how to communicate your expertise and translate scientific findings into everyday language - and feel good about it.

Half-day workshop

2nd of June 2023, 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

AFL-E-003

Please let the lecturer know in advance by email what your research focus is. Summarise your topic in two or three sentences and present the main findings of your most recent/important research work.
Therefore, please think beforehand about which aspects of your research you would prefer to talk about and which aspects you definitely do not want to talk about publicly.
The lecturer will contact you about two weeks before the workshop for a small preparatory work.
You will be expected to actively participate in the workshop discussion and feedback sessions.

English

Dr. Sarah Bütikofer, political scientist, editor DeFacto

sarah.buetikofer@ipz.uzh.ch, +41 44 634 54 11