The aim of the Falling Walls International hubs is to connect the local and regional Science Engagement networks with the global Falling Walls community. In connection to the Swedish Forum for Science Communication on 15 April, some 50 international science engagers gathered for an hour of “Eftersnack”, an informal networking and knowledge exchange organised by Hub Sweden.
The event was held back to back with the Swedish Forum for Science Communication, which focused on the present and future roles of science communication and public engagement. During Eftersnack a newly set up project – Utopian stories – was presented by Marianne Loor, Communications Manager at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It is a transdisciplinary Citizen Science project which links together the behavioural changes during the pandemic with climate change adaptation and visions for the future. The project connects school classes with researchers within sustainability and climate change.
A glimpse of the activities within the RETHINK EU project was also given by Cissi Askwall, Secretary General of VA. The project investigates how science is being communicated through Europe today. By gathering professionals within science communication, with different perspectives and aims, in a series of workshops, RETHINK also aims to “rethink science communication” and develop good practices for scicomm in the future.
The main part of the event focused on knowledge exchange. The participants were invited to discuss rethinking science communication in a digital world, lessons learned during the pandemic and to share their visions and hopes for the future in guided group discussions. The results and ideas will be fed into the forthcoming Falling Walls Engage Hub Sweden activities.