We all agree science outreach is necessary for a meaningful connection with non-scientific communities. However, it’s perplexing that within academia, science engagement is perceived as a low-status task and often lands on the shoulders of graduate students and early-career faculty, the majority of whom are women. Do universities and institutions possess a framework to involve academics across all career junctures in these endeavors, let alone a functional science communication department?

“Not very often,” says Silvie Cuperus, the Head Coordinator at Life Science Zurich, a communication unit for biological sciences at ETH Zurich. “Most universities mainly have marketing and PR departments that mostly play a role in getting prospective students and researchers. Their main tasks are communicating research updates to media and updating websites. But what I do is different; I strive to create a dialogue between scientists and the public. There are hardly any positions within the universities in Switzerland that enable this.” We are sitting at the Irchel bar at the University campus sipping coffee, while Silvie gives me a glimpse into her role as a science communicator for the university and ETH.

Some 20 years ago, scientists at ETH realized that public opinion in Zurich influenced the voting on science policies. “In Switzerland, we get to vote on a lot of things- it’s sort of a direct democratic system. Prominent scientists at ETH sensed that if people understood the importance of their work they would vote in favor of science. This prompted their efforts to engage with the public. And that’s how Life Science Zurich was created,” explains Silvie. Her predecessor, Dr. Isabel Klusman, ran the platform for 15 years and led the foundation. She then moved to become the head of the Zoological Museum, and Silvie applied for the position.

Through Life Science Zurich (LSZ) communication & events, Silvie and colleagues offer scientists a platform to engage with public forums, such as Fame Lab and Café Scientifique. LSZ provides support at an organizational level, networking, and marketing to researchers. It has a Learning Center that offers lab courses in life science for teachers and students.

Fame Lab event in Zurich organized by LSZ (Source: Silvie Cuperus)

“We are also planning a science communication training workshop for Ph.D. students and working with postdoctoral researchers to translate scientific findings into local languages. There are ample ways of communicating science- writing, performing on stage, or teaching. We intend to inform scientists of many ways they can engage with public, and guide them towards the opportunities that exist”, informs Silvie.

It is often difficult to point out what is missing but most science communicators, like Silvie, share a view that science outreach and engagement deserve more attention in academic curriculum. Despite its importance, science outreach often faces limitations in terms of the time allocated and sometimes disproval from peers and supervisors. There is an unsaid pressure to prioritize research; and anything that is not directly related to it is a distraction. Promotions, tenure, and funding are often tied to research productivity and publications. Grants, indeed, encourage scientists to think of broad impacts, but there is no system to acknowledge and reward outreach efforts.

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) has an Agora scheme that provides funding for public engagement, however, only researchers can send applications. When the system lacks incentives for science outreach, researchers are unlikely to exert additional effort to compose projects for public engagement. It is about time professors and supervisors encourage active involvement in these initiatives across various disciplines.

Moreover, scientists are trained to communicate within their academic circles and present their research to fellow experts, whereas effectively engaging with a non-scientific audience requires a different skill set. Professions like news reporters, filmmakers, and stand-up comics excel in audience engagement and storytelling, and scientists can benefit greatly from adopting similar techniques when communicating with the public.

“Scientists need to understand that the key to communication is its flexibility, openness, and willingness to listen. It is not only about talking but also listening to what the public is interested in. For many scientists, public engagement is the same as showing cool results. Results are important, yes, but your audience is driven by different concerns and has different questions than your science. Scientists need to listen to what drives public interest in their research”, adds Silvie.

LSZ partners with the Swiss Science Film Academy to connect researchers and filmmakers. They offer workshops on storytelling, storyboarding for scientists, video journalism for science, and more. The films made in collaboration between scientists and filmmakers are showcased at the annual film festivals. Using visual mediums and cinematic tools to communicate science can be an excellent way to instill curiosity in science topics. “Science films can be made for various genres. For instance, the film CaSSIS directed by space scientist, Tatiana Keller, is like a mystery thriller about various things happening on Mars and their explanations. I strongly feel such science film festivals can be monumental in creating a hub where researchers, filmmakers, and the public come together to talk about science, films, and what science means to society”, says Silvie.

Silvie envisions LSZ as the go-to destination for everybody seeking to comprehend scientific matters. She is inclined to connect curious minds with the scientists and eliminate resistance on both sides- the scientists and the society to come together. Write to Silvie Cuperus (silvie.cuperus@lifescience.uzh.ch) if you are a science communicator with ideas or a scientist keen to participate in one of the LSZ #scicomm endeavors.

Cover Image graphics: Freepik