Sue Hordijenko on banter and banderillas in Barcelona

Four days in July saw the Catalan capital play host to around 650 journalists and 4,000 researchers and decision makers from around 40 countries, at the third European Open Science Forum (ESOF 2008).

ESOF was founded in 1999 as an interdisciplinary, pan-European meeting place for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas about contemporary science. So what did the conference tell us about the state of contemporary public engagement with science, on a European scale?

Sharing practice

Historically, we Europeans have an inter-cultural heritage of conflict and war. One of the first incidents of European ‘collaboration’ was in 1769 when the rare celestial event, the Transit of Venus, brought European astronomers together to share their knowledge.

Although outright warring has ceased, we still have little in the way of a shared Euro-identity, so ESOF provides a valuable platform to share experiences of practice in different countries. This has helped to increase the numbers of policy makers that attend ESOF. As one Eurocrat said to me: ‘What is sure to catch a politician’s eye is the chance to see if they are doing it better “over there” and find out why.’

Converting the sweaty proletariat

My overriding feeling following ESOF 2006 was that, when public engagement was discussed, much of the conversation culminated in researchers blaming and berating journalists for what they felt to be inaccurate reporting, evoking subsequent anti-science sentiment.

ESOF 2008 was different. Not a single participant doubted the need for effective dialogue between scientists, the public, policy makers and journalists, but the overarching reason to engage was deemed to be the need to gain public acceptance of science – a type of missionary role to convert the sweaty proletariat. This is an interesting perception of science communication, in which scientists impart facts to the ignorant public on the assumption that knowledge will bring enthusiasm for science. This idea has been overtaken in the UK, yet polls conducted on public perception over the last decade or so show a rise in public appreciation of science.

No humour

One session that I attended opened with Karin Hermansson, Research Manager from the Swedish organisation Vetenskap & Allmänhet (Science & Public), which aims to promote dialogue and openness between the public and researchers. She quoted some statistics from a recent survey which showed that ‘94 per cent of policymakers have big confidence in researchers compared to 71 per cent of the public. This is because the former are highly intelligent people.’ No one even raised a smile. It was not that the humour was lost; she had not meant it to be funny.

Someone else cited the 1998 Swiss referendum, in which the Swiss had voted by a 2:1 majority notto ban genetic engineering. The Swiss experience showed that researchers need to engage in dialogue face-to-face with the public to humanise the issues.

There was certainly a feeling amongst researchers at ESOF that European citizens need to be brought on side in the way the Swiss were a decade ago. Was this a case of America sneezing and Europe catching a cold? For the last year or so we have been hearing about the marked decline in the number of science journalists in the US and the creation/evolution controversy. We were warned by our American colleagues that US citizens are turning their backs on science and that more of the same would be on its way to Europe.

Pecking order

ESOF 2008 showed me that there was certainly a desire to engage amongst those researchers and decision makers that attended the conference. By the researchers’ own admissions, however, they were in the minority, but the situation is improving. More of their colleagues are beginning to see that it is not only a valuable ‘strategic investment’ to engage with those outside their peer group, but also a necessity to convince the taxpayer that their financial support is worthwhile. However, the pecking order is policymakers first, journalists second and the general public bringing up the rear.

ESOF 2010 takes place in Turin from 2 – 7 July. The question on everyone’s lips is will the Italians outdo the (thus far) unsurpassed culinary hospitality of the Spaniards. It’s a wild hunch, but somehow I think they will try. Al Italia!

Sue Hordijenko is Director of Programmes at the BA