‘Train the trainers’ at Koç University “straight to the point”
Koç University had a need, and the COALESCE project offered the expertise. That’s how the first ‘train-the-trainer’ workshop for professors at this university was designed and delivered in november and december 2025. Three two-hour sessions explored the role of scientists in society and in science communication, the skills they need, and offered a brief overview of the history of science communication.
“I have been very much curious about science communication – first, science fiction, then science communication,” reveals Behice Pehlivan, Head of Sustainability at Koç University, one of the COALESCE Hubs. “In Turkey, we don’t have much capacity; we lack science communicators and science communication training programmes.”
Pehlivan has been looking into this topic for more than five years, thinking of ways to create a talent pool in science communication for the future. But why would a Sustainability Office worry about this? “We have an interesting vision. Science and sustainability are highly transdisciplinary issues. Disciplines should come together and talk – and so do policymakers, the public, everyone. That’s where science communication comes in.”
Her first contact was with Jason Pridmore, Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and together they ran a project to diagnose the gaps and needs of Koç University in science communication. Pridmore is also a co-lead of COALESCE and introduced the project to Pehlivan – who swiftly applied for Koç University to become a Hub.
After benchmarking extensively, the university decided to initially create a small certificate programme in science communication for doctoral students. “This seemed manageable, because you cannot just start a master’s or a doctoral programme – it’s too big,” Pehlivan says.
One of her first steps was to identify potential trainers for the programme. No one was directly involved in science communication – except for the work done by the university’s communication office –, but there was a diverse group of professors working in communication- or media-related topics who, with a small tweak, could teach skills useful for science communication.
Pehlivan gathered a multidisciplinary cohort of around 20 people from the institution – graphic designers, sociologists, psychologists, medical scientists, biologists, and even a poet. “I brought them together for a two-day retreat in September, using funds provided by COALESCE, and we discussed the kind of certificate programme we could create.”
After the retreat, they had already developed a rough draft of the pilot programme and identified potential trainers. What was lacking was expertise in science communication – and that’s where the ‘train-the-trainer’ event came in.
Adapting skills to the science communication context
Providing training resources to Hubs is one of the core missions of the future European Competence Centre for Science Communication, explains Ilda Mannino, Scientific Coordinator at Venice International University, Italy. Hubs can then adapt the training to their local context and provide materials in their national languages, adds Emma Weitkamp, Professor in Science Communication at the University of the West of England, UK. Mannino and Weitkamp are coordinating the development of the training portfolio for the Competence Centre.
Drawing on the training they are already developing, they have prepared and run the workshop for Koç University together with Charlotte Bruns, researcher at Erasmus University Rotterdam, all three women representing COALESCE partners. They knew professors at Koç University already had strong skills and expertise; their role was to show how these could be applied to science communication, or where professors could find additional resources to build competence. “We didn’t want to train them how to communicate; we wanted to provide tools and knowledge so they could train others,” Mannino says.
“Their presentation was straight to the point. It was meant for people who would become trainers – not as if they were doctoral students,” Pehlivan confirms. Working with Koc University to understand their needs was key to developing a useful programme. Weitkamp believes that collaborative work is essential as Hubs are likely to have different needs and priorities.
To finalise the doctoral programme, Pehlivan will run a second, one-day retreat for trainers to discuss content, streamline modules, and give and receive feedback. The pilot programme is planned to start in April, run for four weeks, and include modules on design, writing, media production, stage presence, public speaking, and more. It will also feature talks and webinars open to the wider community. The programme will conclude with a science-communication-festival-style event at the end of May, when the 10-12 students in the pilot cohort will present projects developed under the trainers’ mentorship.
The festival, however, will not mark the end of the cycle. Pehlivan has arranged for a researcher from the Media and Visual Arts Department and her team to carry out a thorough evaluation of the pilot programme. They will gather feedback from trainers and trainees, observe sessions, and analyse which elements can be delivered in-house and where gaps remain. Based on this analysis, decisions will be made about cohort size, programme length, frequency, and whether it should be integrated into the doctoral curriculum. “Everything is on the table right now. It all depends on how this pilot performs.”
Pehlivan is aiming for the highest possible quality. Koç University ranks highly in Turkey and acts as a role model for other institutions, meaning there will be close attention on this first science communication programme. “I’m feeling that responsibility. It will be a prime model – people will look at it and talk about it. That’s why I want to set the highest possible standard.”
