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Workshop «Dialog between Politics and Science – Reality or Fiction?»

Co-organized by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) and CCES, a workshop focusing on the science-policy interface took place at ETH Zurich on October 31, 2014. Invited were 35 personalities from politics, public administration, business, science and from the science-policy-interface. The main goal of the workshop was to identify reasons responsible for the suboptimal role of science in supporting political decisions, and to propose an action plan for improving the situation. Specific topics addressed were, a.o., the roles and tasks of the various stakeholders in the science-policy discussion, the degree of professionalization required for a successful dialog, as well as the necessary adaptations of institutional boundary conditions for strengthening the science-policy-interface. The workshop took place in a very lively atmosphere, and the participants felt unanimously happy about the opportunity of an open face-to-face exchange of their experience and opinions.

Teaser: Workshop «Dialog between Politics and Science – Reality or Fiction?»

During the workshop, existing dialog models of the Academy, the SNSF and ETH Zurich were presented, asserting that there is hardly any exchange about corresponding experiences or failures. However, for a successful practice and rules of conduct on both sides this would be necessary. The need of an improved dialog between science and policy in a world that cannot do anymore without science was undisputed. Nevertheless, there was unanimous confirmation that science must remain what it is and respect that policy may always decide against ‘better’ knowledge. In this relationship there is a borderline of credibility for science, which is set by the demonstration of political options and their consequences.

Furthermore, it is important that science is represented by credible and scientifically designated persons, who can speak on behalf of the thematically competent scientific community. The Academy of Science provides such professionally managed platforms e.g. by means of its fora ‘ProClim-‘, ‘Biodiversity’ and ‘Genetic Research’. This kind of service reduces the obstacles for scientists to distribute their messages to relevant political authorities.
The access for policy to relevant knowledge can be facilitated if all parties involved know the scientifically designated institutions which are capable of providing knowledge timely and in suitable form.

The very lively discussions at the round tables not only have brought forward this general framework for the improvement of the dialog, but have also supplied useful indications for a fruitful cooperation. The latter shall be refined in a suitable form as a basis for a continued discussion. Extending the dialog has been welcomed in principle by all sides.

Categories

  • Dialogue
  • Politics

Contacts:
Gabriela Schenk, CCES, phone: +41 44 632 85 37,
info@cces.ethz.ch [1]; Urs Neu, ProClim-, SCNAT,
phone: +41 31 328 23 26, urs.neu@scnat.ch [2]

English