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AREA OF ACTIVITY <WISSENSCHAFT UND ÖFFENTLICHKEIT> |
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PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE SINCE 1999 |
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The challenge of the science society As a country poor in natural resources and with a small domestic market, Switzerland has always had to adopt a strategy of increasing production in the technology and service sectors. In this sense, this country has already long since been well on the way toward becoming a knowledge-based society: this is where the teaching and research carried out at universities has a very special part to play. Both are largely tax-funded and form the basis for the creation of "knowledge" as a product. At the same time, specialist knowledge is increasingly meeting with public suspicion and unease. What is called for is an effective communication of science with a view to involving the general public in shaping the future on the basis of knowledge. Key questions here are: What contribution does science make? What can society expect of science and what is society entitled to expect of science? Where do science's opportunities lie and where are its limits?
Integrated approach In addition, the theme is also rooted strictly in the support strategy and is pursued by means of an integrated approach: under the support agreement (Art. 3 Project-related agreements) each individual project is required to participate in the three projects "School in the lab", "Communicating science" and "Object & science": Thus, all support project participants, most of whom will be young scientists, will be faced with the demands of communicating scientific content in contemporary form. In this way, GEBERT RÜF STIFTUNG contributes toward ensuring that instead of isolating themselves in government-financed ivory towers the younger generation of academics see the need for communication as an integral part of their perception of themselves as scientists. |
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