Logo Universität Bayreuth
Two people recording a podcast.

Focus point Science Communication

Ivory tower no more! The days when scientific topics were mainly covered in English-language journals are long gone. The diversity of channels and the appetite for unusual formats is also massively changing the way we communicate at university. Examples? Hundreds of enthusiastic children in the Audimax of the University of Bayreuth learn about artificial intelligence, citizens engage in discussions with scientists at public lecture series or in the 'Bayreuther Stadtgespräch' format; hard-working hobby mappers provide valuable support for a nature atlas of the region, tens of thousands of people click on YouTube videos of the '6 Minuten Jura' series or listen to podcasts from the Chair of Marketing & Sports Management (MAS) or from Media Studies ('Beyond Bayreuth').

The communication of and about scientific issues and results with various target groups outside the university and their active involvement offers a fantastic opportunity to convey complex information in a generally understandable way, to receive direct feedback and to actively include other perspectives and virulent issues in the structuring of the scientific knowledge acquisition process – an emotional and content-related enrichment! But also work in an area that requires the necessary theoretical knowledge and methodological skills. We would like to support you in the diverse possibilities in the field of Science Communication. Because it is becoming increasingly important, and is also an integral part of the university contract, to make research results accessible to a broad public on a wide variety of platforms in the most vivid way possible and thus make them understandable, the demands on all researchers, doctoral students, postdocs and employees of the various service centres and all other university institutions that are directly or indirectly involved in Science Communication have also grown considerably. This is all the more the case as, according to an announcement by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Science Communication will become "an integral part of all funding guidelines and funded research projects – regardless of the respective scientific field".

Prof. Dr. Harald Lesch
I find it incredibly important, in a country so reliant on science and research, that science and research reach the public, that universities open their windows, as Pope John XXIII once said, to let fresh air into academia and allow the public to somehow drive research. People have a right to have science address issues that concern them.

Scientist and author Professor Harald Lesch talks about science communication

Against this backdrop, the University of Bayreuth has launched a broad-based Scicomm initiative to raise even more awareness for this topic. This is certainly best achieved through comprehensive information and the willingness of everyone to get involved. And because as many members of the university as possible need to be informed, the UBT has put together a training programme that provides information on the most important aspects of this challenging topic. 

Good to know: The UBT offers the training programmes without any financial contribution. However, so that as many researchers and students as possible can benefit from these training programmes, we would like to point out that, in the interests of equal opportunities, you should not register for several basic seminars, but only for one. Thank you for your understanding. Below is an initial overview of the first seminars and workshops that will be offered from autumn 2024. We would like to point out that the following seminars and training courses on the subject of science communication can only be used by members of the University of Bayreuth.

Training seminars on the topic of Science Communication

Workshop ‘Gender-sensitive science communication’ (doctoral students & postdocs+)

  • 27 January 2025
  • RW II, 1st floor, room 1.81
  • Time: 09:00 - 16:00
  • Trainer: Janne Steenbeck
  • Language: German
  • Registration: until 16 January 2025
      

Science communication has become increasingly developed and professionalised in recent years. Its importance for creating an informed public that trusts scientific expertise also brings the question of diversity to the fore: How can researchers recognise inequalities within their own discipline? What exactly constitutes ‘good science communication’ against the backdrop of social challenges and transformation processes? And how do you reach diverse target groups? This seminar focuses on gender-sensitive science communication. Participants will learn to recognise gender aspects in their research, develop strategies for targeted communication and design various communication formats in a practice-oriented way.

Registration

Participation is free of charge for members of the university. Successful participation will be confirmed with a certificate. Binding registration is required. Registration for this seminar is only possible via these links:

  • All applicants will then receive feedback as to whether they have been allocated a place in their chosen workshop.
  • If you are interested, please register via the WiN portal or at event.graduateschool@uni-bayreuth.de!

Basic seminars Scicomm digital (in German)

With the Scicomm Schools ‘Communicating Science!’, the agency con gressa, which specialises in Science Communication, offers early career researchers in science and communication from all over Germany an introduction to Science Communication in digital form. The ‘Scicomm Autumn School’ is therefore aimed at researchers who want to get started in the field of Science Communication and gain first experiences. In addition to practical examples and exercises, theoretical principles and concepts are also taught. As part of its Scicomm initiative, the University of Bayreuth has reserved several places for the seminar series in autumn and winter 2024, which are free of charge for participants. Places will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

Please note: All 10 places for the Scicomm Autumn School 2024 have already been allocated. There is a waiting list. There are 7 places available for the Winter School at the University of Bayreuth.

Dates

  • Scicomm Autumn School: 23 – 26 September 2024, Mondays-Thursdays from 8.00 to 10.30 a.m.

  • Scicomm Winter School: 2 – 5 December 2024, Mondays-Thursdays from 8.00 to 10.30 a.m.


Registration

Participation is free of charge for members of the university. Binding registration is required. Registration for this seminar only via these links:

  • All applicants will then receive feedback as to whether they have been allocated a place in their chosen workshop.
  • Registration for the Scicomm training seminars usually begins 6 weeks before the seminar.

Training seminars on the topic of Science Communication

Workshop ‘Gender-sensitive science communication’ (doctoral students & postdocs+)

  • 27 January 2025
  • RW II, 1st floor, room 1.81
  • Time: 09:00 - 16:00
  • Trainer: Janne Steenbeck
  • Language: German
  • Registration: until 16 January 2025
      

Science communication has become increasingly developed and professionalised in recent years. Its importance for creating an informed public that trusts scientific expertise also brings the question of diversity to the fore: How can researchers recognise inequalities within their own discipline? What exactly constitutes ‘good science communication’ against the backdrop of social challenges and transformation processes? And how do you reach diverse target groups? This seminar focuses on gender-sensitive science communication. Participants will learn to recognise gender aspects in their research, develop strategies for targeted communication and design various communication formats in a practice-oriented way.

Registration

Participation is free of charge for members of the university. Successful participation will be confirmed with a certificate. Binding registration is required. Registration for this seminar is only possible via these links:

  • All applicants will then receive feedback as to whether they have been allocated a place in their chosen workshop.
  • If you are interested, please register via the WiN portal or at event.graduateschool@uni-bayreuth.de!

Important note: As we want as many researchers as possible to have the opportunity to participate in further training, we ask you to register for only one seminar within a semester.

The Scicomm-ABC

How do you define Science Communication? Who has which expectations of Science Communication? What should you do and what not? What formats, what hurdles, what suggestions are there? We provide you with questions, explanations and tips on the subject of Science Communication in our Scicomm-list from A to Z.

Your contact for Science Communication

Do you have a request or a question about Science Communication? Please feel free to contact me. I will always try to help you. You can usually reach me in the office from Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., otherwise of course by e-mail.

Gert-Dieter Meier

Gert Dieter Meier

Science Communication, Press, Marketing and Communication Department

Phone: +49 (0)921 / 55-5356
E-mail: gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de  

Zentrale Universitätsverwaltung (ZUV), Office 3.09
Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth 

'High education can be proven by knowing how to explain the most complicated things in a simple way.'

The Irish poet Georg Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) describes an important realisation of Science Communication with this clever sentence. However, the realisation of this insight remains complex. This makes it all the more important to consider the experiences, insights and knowledge of others who have already worked intensively on the topic of Science Communication. These reading tips should also contribute to this.