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ESConet's PCST-10 Session: How can dialogue and debate feature in science communication training?

This panel session presents the experience of the European Science Communication Network (ESConet), which has created and delivered innovative science communication training workshops to early career scientific researchers, aimed at empowering them to engage with the media, policy-makers and various publics.
A presentation of parts of these modules at this session, coupled with the reflections and insights of ESConet members on their experience of incorporating dialogue and debate in the workshops, aims to aid the professional practice of science communication experts elsewhere.

From 2005 to May 2008, European Commission-funded (ESConet), comprising 17 participating institutions from 12 countries, created 12 original science communication teaching modules that delivered core communication skills to researchers, but also encouraged scientists to reflect on their audiences, as well as the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of their scientific work.
ESConet trainers have been drawn from multi-disciplinary backgrounds, including science communication academic researchers, science journalists, science public relations experts, and scientists. To achieve the network's aim of empowering researchers to communicate in the current climate of dialogue and debate in science and society interaction, each module focused on a distinct area of communication and public engagement with science.

Each workshop began with the module, "Who are You Communicating With and Why?", which outlined core concepts in communications. This was followed by professional skills-based modules including "Media Writing" and "Talking to the Media", which gave scientists skills in press release writing and performing in media interviews, skills essential for any effective engagement with the public through the news media. Researchers also undertook modules including "Communicating Risk", "Public Science on the Web" and "Presenting Research to Policy-Makers" that equipped them for specific communication situations with different audiences with varying needs and expectations.

As well as developing professional skills, ESConet has also delivered discursive modules - these included "Talking Science and Listening" (which focused on dialogue), "Science as Culture" and "Challenging Science" that encouraged young researchers to engage with the socio-cultural dimensions of contemporary scientific endeavour.

The session will be divided into four sections.

1. Prof. Steve Miller, the network's Director, will present an overview of the evolution of project, describing its unique aims, multi-disciplinary approach and cross-cultural perspectives in a context where science communication training has sought to move from traditional deficit model approaches to training techniques that stress public engagement with science.
2. Dr Ana Godinho, Dr Elsa Poupardin and Dr Aleksandar Višnjevac - who taught various modules - will present parts of the 12 modules, and will discuss the science communication lessons they learned through delivering the workshops. You may find the presentation here.
3. The network's Coordinator, Declan Fahy, will present the results of the evaluation of the seven ESConet workshops that will have been delivered by April 2008 to approximately 130 scientists in total, describing the areas that young researchers found particularly useful or problematic, an analysis that can guide science communication teachers and trainers elsewhere.
4. Brian Trench will offer reflections, arising from the project experience, on training early career scientific researchers in science communication.

The session will be interactive, allowing science communication professionals to discuss the experiences of the ESConet trainers, with a view to informing future training to empower scientists to engage with wider publics.
The speakers and their institutional affiliations are: Prof Steve Miller, University College London; Declan Fahy and Brian Trench, Dublin City University; Dr Ana Coutinho, Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; Dr Elsa Poupardin, Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg; Dr Aleksandar Višnjevac, Ruder Boškovic Institute, Zagreb.