The working group dedicated to enhancing science communication within the SEA-EU alliance held a productive meeting at the Nord University Bodø campus on May 7th and 8th.
Nord University became a member of the SEA-EU alliance in January 2023, expanding the initial six-member alliance to nine universities. The SEA-EU alliance offers a remarkable opportunity for ambitious and impactful initiatives in improving communication and collaboration within the scientific community in a broader societal context.
The highlight of this meeting was the presentation of best practices in science communication through selected projects from each university within the alliance. Participants had the opportunity to showcase the diversity of approaches to science communication and the specific contexts in which each university operates.
For the selected project, participants were required to explain why it was chosen as an example of good practice in scientific communication, describe how scientific communication is conducted, how evaluation is carried out, and how its impact on society is monitored.
The second day of the working meeting began with a presentation of key ideas gathered from the presented best practice examples, followed by the drafting of a working version of a document to ensure the quality of scientific communication.
Despite the increasing prevalence of online meetings, this event demonstrated the irreplaceable nature of in-person meetings in exchanging ideas and communication methods, despite all the technical possibilities of holding meetings in a virtual environment.
As an example of good practice, Saša Mladenović from the University of Split chose activities related to popularization conducted through the recently concluded Science Festival. We are pleased to note that the University recognizes and promotes the development of society and collaboration with local authorities for the benefit of society as a whole through its strategic documents. Through this group, we have the opportunity to further raise awareness of the good practice of scientific communication that the University of Split has been implementing for years and introduce innovations based on the good practices of SEA-EU alliance members.
This meeting was a step forward in establishing collaboration and exchanging experiences among SEA-EU alliance members in the field of science communication, aiming to promote knowledge and contribute to societal development at both local and global levels.
