As an organizing committee, we believe it is important to address the relevance of science communication beyond the ball evening. That is why we have designed the Vienna Lecture on Science Communication together with the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
This season, the renowned German political and media scientist Maja Göpel will give a lecture on the need for good science communication, especially in challenging times. Participation on Friday, January 24, 2025, at the Academy of Sciences is free, registration is required, and tickets will be allocated in the order in which registrations are received: www.wissenschaftsball.at/vienna-lecture-25/. Please note that the lecture will be in German only.
The hostility to science in parts of society is evident. The reaction of universities and researchers to engage in more mediation and communication is understandable. It is precisely in this situation that it is worth pausing for a moment and thinking about what purpose science communication should serve and how it should differ from the communication of other topics.
One realization of recent years is how important legitimizing narratives are for social design and change. Science communication plays a central role in these current processes of change because our profession still enjoys a particularly high level of trust. That is why the design of science communication that is solidly legitimated in terms of content and societal relevance is a core element of democratic social change beyond populist claims to power.
Maja Göpel, born in 1976, researches and teaches as a political economist, transformation expert and sustainability scientist at the interface of science, politics and society. The political consultant, bestselling author and sought-after speaker is an honorary professor for sustainability transformations at Leuphana University Lüneburg and a member of the Club of Rome, the World Future Council and co-founder of the “Scientists4Future” initiative. Göpel was a member of the German Federal Government’s Bioeconomy Council. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the Science Communication Medal from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in 2022.