Can Science Communication Workshops Train Scientists for Reflexive Public Engagement? The ESConet Experience

Abstract

The European Science Communication Network, between 2005 and 2008, created and delivered original communication training workshops to more than 170 researchers, primarily early-career scientists, to empower them to perform reflexive public engagement activities in various communication situations. The program designed 12 original teaching modules for science communication that not only delivered skills training, including writing for popular audiences and media interview skills, but also developed capacity in, among other areas, risk communication, communicating science in dialogue, and examining controversies within the scientific community. The Workshops aimed to encourage scientists to reflect critically on the social, historical, cultural, and ethical dimensions of science.