Check out the new feature on the European Competence Centre for Science Communication platform: the science communication Events page. Here you’ll find relevant conferences and other events taking place across Europe and beyond. Our Events page is also the place to find out about the science communication training offered by the Competence Centre. The events page will be a one-stop place for science communication practitioners and researchers to find out about events they would like to be part of or attend.

“Our team is curating a tailored calendar for science communication-related events happening all over Europe and beyond. Whether these are conferences, policy events or others, here is where you will be able to find them. You can also stay tuned with our regular training program and register from there. In the future, we will also be incorporating announcements about science communication prizes,” says Joana Magalhães, co-coordinator of COALESCE and Science Communication Area Manager at Science for Change in Barcelona.

If you would like to suggest an event to be included in the Competence Centre events page, please contact us here. Please provide the following information: title of the event; link to a relevant webpage; short description of the event; date(s) and time(s); event type, language, and whether it is online or in-person; event topic; and target audience.

Martina Arabadzhieva is a representative of the Bulgarian hub and is part of the Centre for Research and Analysis (CRA). The Bulgarian Hub includes several organisations – CRA, Beautiful Science Foundation, Forum Democritus and Muzeiko. On the other side of the virtual room sits Marianne Achiam, who leads a research group of four people in science communication at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. COALESCE is in the middle, acting as a bridge in this paired interview series, where practitioners connect with researchers. 

[Excerpt of the interview]

What barriers do you think science communication practitioners face, Martina?
[Martina] Well, the lack of journalists. Also, to be honest, academics don't always make information about their research easily available or understandable.

[Marianne] If I can add to that… Martina, you make a really good point, and express it somewhat diplomatically: researchers don't always make research available to practitioners. The problem, though, may be a bit bigger than that, in that it's quite easy for researchers to stay within the boundaries of academia and not worry so much about the real world and then be surprised when nobody in practice takes up their ideas of what's important. It’s not only a question of research not being accessible physically, but a question of having a more democratic model, perhaps, conducting science communication research in tandem with practice. We need to pay more heed to the problems identified by practitioners and their needs, rather than what we think is interesting from an academic point of view.

The latest Mutual Learning and Exploitation event (ML&E 6), which was held online, provided the opportunity for Hubs to hear about the work of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) Hubs and Falling Walls Engage Hubs. It is planned to launch up to five small projects that would see staff at a COALESCE Hub working with either EDMO Hubs or Falling Walls Engage Hubs on disinformation or climate change communication projects. 

At ML&E 6, Elena Maggi, EDMO Hubs Coordinator, described the work of their Hubs, which cover all 15 EU member states as well as Moldova, Norway and Spain. This network contributes to the detection and analysis of disinformation about health and climate, as well as organising media literacy activities. Sacha Hannon, Project Manager, International Networks at Falling Walls Engage, gave examples of its Hubs’ projects, in countries such as Argentina and Mexico, that are supporting science communication.

Representatives from the COALESCE Hubs were also briefed at the ML&E on the latest work to develop science communication competence frameworks for communication officers, researchers and museum staff. These frameworks will detail the science communication skills and know-how expected of these groups at different levels of expertise – foundation, intermediate, advanced and expert. The frameworks will be used to inform the development of science communication training within the Competence Centre training portfolio.