Dialogue
Roles of scientists in the public arena: a balancing act
In these times of unprecedented social challenges, what role(s) do scientists have in the public arena? What is the contribution of the 'pure scientists' who provide objective facts and figures? Do you think all scientists should become ‘honest brokers’, presenting alternative scenarios? Or is the moral obligation of scientists to openly campaign for a better, fairer and more sustainable world?
Scientists clearly have a role to play in society. But we need to be aware of the different roles scientists can and do play and how society looks at scientists who are activein the public arena. In this series by Wageningen Dialogues, we explore the different roles, their impact on society and what scientists need to contribute in a meaningful way. Because, aren’t there multiple roles to take?
For the first dialogue in this series, we invite WUR employees to engage in a conversation on the roles of scientists in the public arena – and all the challenges that come with it. With this ongoing series, we want to explore the value of the different positions that scientists can take, as well as their impact on society. In later sessions, we will therefore surely open up to engage with actors outside the academic bubble. As the aim of the series is to help strengthening our interactions as a scientific institute with society.
Do you have additional ideas, on what and with whom we should engage for this series? Let us know or potentially even join our design team to come up with new activities.
Join the conversation
Do you work at WUR? Please join us on December 12th to share your experiences and deepen our insights together! You can register via this link.
| 15:00 | Walk-in, coffee & tea |
| 15:15 | Welcome and purpose of this dialogue series |
| 17:00 | Closing & Drinks |