"Science - and me?!" What significance does science have in everyday life and for a democratic society?

Jun 14, 2024

Joint series of events organised by major scientific organisations invites citizens to a personal exchange. MARUM Director answers questions about climate change and extreme weather events.

Researchers and citizens engaged in dialogue at the Neustädtischer Markt in Brandenburg an der Havel during the "Science - and me?" event. Photo: Judith Affolter

Together with citizens, researchers take a look at global challenges and crises. Problems and conflicts in the personal, local or regional environment are discussed and constructively debated in direct dialogue - that is the idea behind the "Science - and me?" event series, which takes place at various locations in June. Last Saturday, 6 June 2024, the second event took place at the Neustädtischer Markt in Brandenburg an der Havel. Prof. Dr Michael Schulz, Director of MARUM – Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, was also there. He spoke to the visitors about climate change and extreme weather events.

The next date is 15 June, starting at 10 a.m. on the Museum Square in Gera, Thuringia. A continuation of the series of events is planned for the autumn, with Wetzlar in Hesse and Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia already confirmed as venues.

The initiators are the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities (Akademienunion), who want to use their public dialogues to vividly demonstrate the importance of science in and for the lives of citizens and how each and every individual can benefit from science and research. At the same time, the dialogues will also focus on the role and value of science in and for a democratic society. The title of the series of events, in which renowned scientists from a wide range of disciplines and the heads of the organising organisations are personally involved, is "Science - and me? Citizens in dialogue about science".

The discussions will focus on topics such as energy/environment, society/labour market, AI/technology, art/culture, health/nutrition as well as topics of local interest such as urban planning or structural change, to which experts from the relevant subject areas will be invited to engage in personal discussions at themed tables. A total of around 30 scientists from universities and research institutes from all over Germany will be involved in the three dialogue events. Scientific artefacts, posters and other exhibits will also arouse curiosity about the topics and discussions.

Further information:

https://www.akademienunion.de/presse/pressemitteilung/wissenschaft-und-ich

The participating organisations:

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is the largest research funding organisation and central institution for the self-administration of science in Germany. With an annual budget of 3.9 billion euros, it currently funds over 31,000 research projects from all subject areas. dfg.de
The German Rectors' Conference (HRK) is the voluntary association of state and state-recognised universities in Germany. The HRK currently has 271 member universities, at which around 90 per cent of all students in Germany are enrolled. hrk.de
The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), formerly the Prussian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, is an interdisciplinary and international association of outstanding academics with over 300 years of tradition. bbaw.de

The Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities (Akademienunion) is the union of eight science academies of the German federal states, which bring together more than 2000 scientists from various disciplines. www.akademienunion.de

Prof Dr Michael Schulz, MARUM Director, spoke with visitors about climate change and extreme weather events. Photo: Judith Affolter