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67026-01 - Colloquium: Science Communication in Action (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers | Aya Kachi (aya.kachi@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | * “Science communication”? * When we say science communication, we often imagine a situation where scientists attempt to deliver technical information to the public and policymakers. In this course, we will use a broader definition of science communication; we will also consider many other situations where we need to communicate technical information such as research findings and policy designs in various contexts. For example, when professors (scientists) teach technical topics to students, that is already a type of science communication. Scientists also need to discuss their research findings among each other, both within and between different disciplines. It is also scientists’ responsibility to inform the public, policymakers, and media about their findings. Citizens, too, debate on technologies, policies, and products citing scientific evidence they have seen somewhere (!). Political parties and individual politicians might try to talk citizens into their preferred policies using evidence they got from scientists. Similarly, even product marketing is an effort by companies to lure consumers into buying their products. Here too, companies use various research findings to illuminate the products’ advantages. Similar communications happen also within firms and governments when the staff reports their analyses to CEOs and managers. Science communication as such is not only a task for professional researchers. In fact, nearly every phase of our life involves different types of science communication. * Good communication and information improve our decision-making * Now, why is it important for us to think about science communication? It’s because successful communication gives us relevant and accurate information about complex topics. Accurate information in turn helps us make better decisions in life. In other words, good information should help us choose behaviors, products, and policies that are better aligned with our goals and preferences! (Shouldn’t they?) For example, imagine we have a clear preference for achieving good health, which is obviously a meaningful goal. However, if health experts do not communicate possible treatments effectively, or if we don’t have the necessary skills for understanding the evidence provided by the health experts, we can end up choosing a treatment that does not improve our health even though we wanted to. If you are a policymaker trying to achieve a certain policy goal (e.g., reduce poverty), again, you need to understand the scientific findings that tend to connect your policy goal to the right policy designs. Same goes for any decisions about personal finance, career, products, lifestyle, and so on. This is why a good communication -both as a sender and receiver of the information- has a significant influence on our life and happiness. * Bad communication and information can harm, and they are everywhere * But we all know that things are not that simple. We are constantly surrounded by both accurate and inaccurate information. You might have heard of the expressions, “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and sometimes “malinformaion.” The crucial point here is that even with our best intention to bring technical and useful information as accurately as possible, there are still many reasons we end up providing wrong information or interpret the information inaccurately. Is there something we can do about it? * This colloquium * In this colloquim, we are going to discuss why we tend to face these challenges. In doing so, we will look into the heterogeneous incentives (interests) of various involved actors, such as professional reserachers, media, policymakers, industry, research funding agencies, etc. (Don’t worry if you don’t understand why they are relevant yet.) We will also shed light on the fact that the practice of science always involves some uncertainty and that related technologies are advancing faster and faster, which make the communication even more difficult. And yet, the scientific community is expected more and more to engage with society and show their findings in an accessible manner. Through our discussions, we will try to understand why all these factors combined pose great challenges in communciating (sending, receiving, and interpreting) science. Overall, understanding such mechanisms through discussions is the main point of this colloquium. Eventually, it has something to do with our mindset, too. |
| Learning objectives | |
| Bibliography | All materials are available on ADAM. Required readings. - [Book] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. "Communicating science effectively: A research agenda." (2017). - [Book; Read the introduction chapter] Olson, Randy. Don't be such a scientist: Talking substance in an age of style. Island Press, 2018. Recommended readings. - Other recommended readings materials will be from published articles and book chapters. |
| Admission requirements | Willingness to participate in class discussions, think together, and come up with meaningful questions. |
| Course application | 1. The number of participants is limited to 45. 2. Email Prof. Kachi (aya.kachi@unibas.ch) (By September 15, 2025) Send an email from your university email address to Prof. Kachi stating your interest in applying for the colloquium. You will then be added to the course ADAM page, where you can upload your application video later. 3. Attend the information/introduction session (September 15, 2025) The course will begin with a mandatory information session during the first week of the semester. This session will provide an overview of the course objectives, expectations, and details about the selection process. Attending this session is crucial for submitting a successful application. 4. Submit a short video (Due: September 20, 2025) To apply, prospective students must submit a short video (about 2-3 minutes) addressing the following points: (1) Motivation: Why are you interested in this course? What excites you about science communication? (2) Perspective: Share your opinion on a topic or issue related to science communication. For example, you could discuss the role of science communication in public health, climate policy, or technological advancement. (3) Active participation: What does active participation in this course mean to you? How do you plan to contribute to the class discussions and activities? (4) Economic interests: Discuss the topic(s) in economics you are currently most interested in, based on your studies at the university so far. (5) Extracurricular experiences (if applicable): If you’ve participated in any activities, clubs, or projects that have shaped your understanding of or interest in communication (e.g., student journalism, debate clubs, volunteering, internships), please mention them. You will submit your video to the “Application Videos” folder on ADAM. 4. Evaluation and selection (Notified by the end of September 23, 2025) Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: - Relevance and clarity of motivation. - Thoughtfulness and originality in discussing the selected topic. - Commitment to active participation as demonstrated in the video. - Extracurricular experiences that show an interest in communication (if applicable). Successful applicants will be notified by the end of September 23, 2025. 5. Please note: Due to the high volume of submissions, individual feedback on submissions will not be provided. Students not selected for this course are encouraged to explore other science communication opportunities available at the university. By following this process, we aim to create a dynamic and interactive seminar environment where students are highly motivated to engage with the subject matter and with each other. We look forward to your applications and to welcoming a diverse and enthusiastic cohort to Science Communication in Action. 6. A deregistration is possible until 29.09.25 at the latest by email to belegungstorno-wwz@unibas.ch 7. Your registration will be entered in your Online Services only after the official deadline of the course registration period, i.e. after October 13, 2025. 8. The following applies to everyone: enrollment = registration for the exam/assignment! In case of non-participation after registration it will be noted as "nicht erschienen" in the transcript. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 15.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 22.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 29.09.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 06.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 13.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 20.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 27.10.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 03.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 10.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 17.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 24.11.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 01.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Monday 08.12.2025 | 14.15-16.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 001 |
| Modules |
Modul: Transfer Skills (Bachelor's Studies: Business and Economics) Modul: Wahlbereich in Wirtschaftswissenschaften (Bachelor's degree subject: Business and Economics) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | The overall assessment of your performance depends on a mix of the following: - Attendance and active participation (30%) - Participation in online surveys (10%) - Homework assignments and final assignment (60%) |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Registration/deregistration: teaching staff |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |