Many European countries experience a political shift to the far right. In Austria for example, there are fears that diversity initiatives in science will be capped. How can individuals and organisations brace for these changes?

Yes, it’s very prevalent just now, and not just Austria—we see similar trends in the UK, Germany, France, the US for instance. It’s quite troubling and for many who share the values underpinning public engagement, it’s even quite scary to think where things might head.

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of what’s happening and the political, governmental changes that are unfolding. But I also think this makes our public engagement communities even more important. They provide safe spaces to share concerns and discuss ways to respond to these challenges in ways that are within our grasp.

Can you give some practical examples?
Showing solidarity is crucial. Last year, EUSEA held its conference in Georgia, despite a politically complex and for many, intimidating backdrop. At one stage we even considered postponing the event, but reflecting back on this afterwards, we realize how important it was to come together in Tbilisi and show support for our colleagues striving for change.

There are also instrumental things we can all do. I’m involved in two major conferences this May—EUSEA’s annual conference in Gran Canaria and the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) conference in Aberdeen. In both cases, we’re making conscious decisions about which social media platforms to use, prioritizing safer and more inclusive spaces. We hope this might help restore some of the qualities that made earlier platforms so valuable for public engagement.

We also need to recognize that people with seemingly extreme views often have complex personal experiences that shape those perspectives. Issues are rarely binary, and conversation and debate are important, but there are also clear lines. When rhetoric turns into hate or outright discrimination, it’s critical to ensure those boundaries do not get crossed. Having codes of conduct and basic principles around ensuring safe spaces are more important than ever, especially for our larger conferences and gatherings where many views are being shared.

What trends in EU funding do you see, and how should the science engagement community prepare?

It’s a safe bet that the next framework programme will have opportunities for those involved in the public engagement space. The reports being published around the shaping up of Framework 10 point to the concept of a bigger ecosystem around research and innovation, with the democratization of research and societal challenges at the forefront.

At a more grassroots research community level there’s the European Charter for Researchers, which although less familiar outside research circles, is a really important set of guiding principles underpinning the development of researchers and why a broad portfolio can be so beneficial. It’s a particularly relevant charter for EUSEA because much of the engagement we support involves working with people actually carrying out the research and science from day to day.

How would you describe Europe’s public Engagement scene at the moment?
The first words that came to mind are exciting and vibrant.

Being involved in EUSEA (European Science Engagement Association) is a privilege because, across our membership network, we see a huge variety of activities and initiatives.

Collaboration and networking across Europe are particularly exciting right now. And it’s not just EUSEA facilitating this—there are other noteworthy initiatives, like the COALESCE project, which is exploring what a science competency framework should look like, or REINFORCE which is all about connecting citizens with research and innovation.

New opportunities for multi-stakeholder projects are opening up as a result of what some call Horizon Europe’s ‚underpinning fourth pillar‘ around widening participation and the WIDERA programme, as well as the strengthening of the European research and innovation system. WIDERA’s recently announced projects are well worth looking at, which include the first edition of the new Science Comes to Town initiative.

Elsewhere in the Commission, the European University Alliances are increasingly engaging with public and civic agendas, recognizing how these efforts can enrich both research and teaching.

There is a lot of potential in thinking how to work across and between these initiatives.

In Germany, we often pick up science engagement trends and formats from the UK. Would you say that other countries should aspire to the UK’s strategy for science communication?

The many progressive initiatives happening over many decades in the UK may look from the outside like a very joined up strategy. But I think it’s more realistic to say that different sectoral agendas found shared interest, and serendipity played a big role, with people working in different aspects of research, outreach and engagement, coming together and finding the synergies and added value of collaborating.

So I am not so sure other countries need to look to the UK for a strategic steer, and it would be wrong to say that there aren’t great examples of good practice coming from other parts of Europe, or indeed the rest of the world. We shouldn’t think that the UK has all the answers to things, but there is certainly a lot of learning developed across many different initiatives and schemes which can be useful.

Are there other European countries whose approaches we should be paying more attention to?
I think it’s interesting to look beyond the countries which traditionally people tend to think of. Different parts of Europe can be fascinating learning zones, particularly where nations are dealing with very distinct challenges around engaging citizens. In EUSEA, we’re very keen to engage and showcase these countries.

More recently, EUSEA’s partnering with Georgia is a good example and our work with Ilya State University to organize the EUSEA conference in 2024. One thing we’re actively trying to do—through events like the conference and increasingly through other programs—is to give more countries a voice and platform to share what they’re doing.

Which of EUSEA’s projects has been most impactful in your view?

If we’re talking about initiatives that EUSEA itself has done, I would highlight the European Science Engagement Platform (an English sibling of the “Formatedatenbank”, editor’s note). That’s an online platform primarily for practitioners, giving them a space to share their events, experiences, and activities. You can search by format or audience. We’re very keen to keep growing it, because it’s a fundamental part of what EUSEA is about—promoting sharing and learning among members.

From the perspective of big projects EUSEA plays a leading role in, IMPETUS is a good example. It is a citizen science project and it’s been interesting because it has really mobilized the citizen science community through calls and prize schemes. Last year, there was a call for the European Citizen Science Prize, which attracted almost 300 submissions.

I’d also highlight the Mutual Learning Exercise for Public Engagement within Research and Innovation supported by the European Commission and feeding into future policy and strategy. The MLE’s final recommendations will soon be published, and EUSEA has played a leading role throughout this.

What are the most promising developments in citizen science right now? And where do you see blind spots—areas where more attention is needed?
One that I think is particularly exciting right now is participatory research. It needs time and commitment to do well—and often requires funding—but it’s quite fundamental to trust, democratization, and the way research is originated and advanced. These projects can be modest in scale, so they don’t always make the news like big citizen science projects do. But they can be just as important.

Could you give some examples?
It’s all about engaging a range of actors who have something valuable to contribute to the research process. That could include other researchers from different disciplines—bringing in expertise in ethics, behavioral science, or other fields to enrich a project.

But from a societal perspective, I’m talking about actors outside academia—citizens, community groups, third-sector organizations—people who bring a different perspective but still have relevant experience and insights into the research question or its potential applications.

There are obvious examples: If you’re designing something for a particular section of society, it makes sense to involve people from that community in the process—to test it, give feedback, and ensure it meets their needs.

The title of your upcoming conference references “turbulent times”. Which challenges should the community focus on this year?
Being in Gran Canaria, across the ocean, this seemed like a great metaphor. In part, of course, the themes will be shaped by what has come into the selection process. The whole misinformation and trust agenda, for example, is a big one—how science and engagement communities respond to that.

Overall, we live in a time with lots of turbulence. I think there are broader reasons why coming together as communities is more important than ever. As you mentioned at the beginning, we’re in a challenging environment right now. Many people feel vulnerable or unsafe.

I think the conference will see a lot of discussions around access, values, diversity, and inclusion– alongside the other challenges I’ve mentioned. The opportunity for us as organisers is to ensure a constructive and positive exchange. We don’t want people leaving the event feeling downbeat, yet there are difficult subjects to talk about.We’ll be working hard to make sure the shared sense of purpose across our members and friends shines though.

Why is connecting European science communication actors important?
I’m always very conscious of the fact that you don’t know what you don’t know.

I’ve been in public engagement for longer than I’d like to admit, but there are still things I learn from engaging and talking with others across Europe—and even locally.

That’s why networks like EUSEA are so important. Any collaborative networking process is valuable because you will always have the opportunity to learn new things. Someone else might be trying an approach that you’ve never even thought of.