Briefly analyzed
“Pause, Reflect, Engage” was the motto of the Collaborative Futures Academy. It took place last year in November. The academy expanded the public engagement skills of scientists in an interactive and diverse way. The diversity of topics and speakers was particularly important. Their openness to share ideas and feelings was adopted by the participants. CFA inspired not only them, but also the organizing team in many ways. In the end, it was clear to all: the community that was created will result in a network for mutual support and future exchange.
Continuing Education An academy that “exceeded expectations” – that was the Collaborative Futures Academy. This report analyzes why the participants were so enthusiastic about it and what lessons we learned from it for future public engagement projects.
In the third part, we look at the open atmosphere, the methods we used to create it, and what resulted.
“Space for everyone to speak”
The participants came from different parts of the world. “It was interesting to see the different perspectives,” explained participant Nazia Nasir. Her problems in public engagement are similar to those from other countries. CFA reinforced to the participants that they are not alone with their problems and gave them the opportunity to openly share them. Nazi Nasir adds: “I am an introverted person, but the platform created was very open to opinions and conversations. That really inspired me that you are supposed to have an open and comfortable space for everyone to speak.” The academy was characterized by an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. “I think the inspiring thing is that the speakers we’ve had, had set a real tone one of openness, of generosity in terms of expressing your ideas, your feelings”, reflected Damian Hebron (participant support UK). The participants adopted this attitude and opened up as well.
Team as part of the group
There was another aspect that created an open atmosphere: we as team members interacted with the participants. During the sessions, most of us were present and actively participated. For example, we exchanged ideas with the researchers in the networking sessions or in Wonder. Chiara recalled, “You were always part of the group – not over us or at the side of us. It was a really nice two-way engagement. I guess, a good example of how to do that.” So the scientists had a direct example of dialogic engagement. We didn’t see the participants as people who knew less than the speakers. “Everybody brought something for the bigger picture,” Alina Loth emphasized. No matter if you are the head of a public engagement unit or a researcher at the beginning of your engagement.
With their experiences – from different areas – the participants also touched on topics that Public Engagement perhaps does not yet pay attention to, or pays too little attention to. Everyone can benefit from this and it helps to advance public engagement. Lucinda Spokes (paricipant support, Cambridge University researchers) is committed to this as Head of Public Engagement at the University of Cambridge. The panel on Power and Privildge made her reflect on her own position: “So how to better engage with our communities and have better awareness of the power that comes with us.” Reflecting on one’s position is an asset in any type of employment. No matter if you are an employee of a well-known institution with privileges and power or not.
International network
CFA participants want to do public engagement. Recent data from the study by Sabrina Heikel Kessler and her colleagues shows that seventy percent of researchers find it important to communicate their findings to the public. In their study, they surveyed 914 researchers from Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Not only the engagement itself, but also the mutual support and the exchange of experiences is important for the CFA researchers. Thus, they created a Slack channel after the academy. Alina Loth would like to expand the network internationally with the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science. Damian Hebron of the Wellcome Connecting Center would like to enter into more collaborations and organize events of this kind.
Conclusion
The Collaborative Futures Academy taught public engagement skills on the one hand and gave participants some inspiration and topics to think about on the other. “We learned so much. I think I have material for the rest of my life,” said Rocio Jana happily. Immediately after the academy, some planned to share their experiences with their institution: “I let these thoughts settle, speak with my bosses. That we are doing more than simply producing editing volumes of chapters,” said Yehuda Gershon. In this way, the researchers themselves contribute to the fact that public engagement is becoming more and more widespread and is simply part of research.
Not every scientist needs to communicate. But they should have the opportunity and the certainty that their commitment is appreciated. Not like currently, where researchers choose either research or public engagement. In the future, culture change should mean that scientists can do both at the same time: Research and Public Engagement.
CFA – Facts
OUR LEARNINGS
- Provide opportunities for exchange – also between sessions
- Diversity of speakers and topics
- Create an atmosphere of trust
- Try to listen to every voice and create atmosphere for it
WHAT WE’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT SINCE WE DID THE PROJECT … WHAT MIGHT DRIVE CULTURE CHANGE IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT:
- Expand offerings of such events so that more young scientists engage in public engagement
- Enter into collaboration for projects, allows for diverse programming and requires participation of diverse people
- Listen to diverse voices from both academia and the public
- Push diversity (necessary for PE, therefore must be reflected in projects)
- Create dialog formats
- Reflect your own position
- Measure impact (is dialogue really required?)
- Learnings from project in relation to PE Projects with citizens: create places where they can exchange ideas, generally meet with respect and at eye level, they also bring experience with them
CFA – FACTS
- one week online training
- 21.5 hrs. course time divided into 18 hrs. main sessions, 3.5 hrs. creative workshops, 1:1 mentoring sessions
- 49 participants
- 25 invited experts
- 10 members in the project team (NAMES)
- Collaboration between University of Cambridge Public Engagement Team, Wellcome Connecting Science, Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science (Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), grasshopper kreativ.
OVERVIEW OF TOOLS USED
- EngagementHQ
- Wonder
- Zoom
- Miro