SCIENCE for SOCIETYSCIENCE for SOCIETYREMARKS OF A CONCERNED RESEARCHER REMARKS OF A CONCERNED RESEARCHER
AND RESEARCH ADMINISTRATORAND RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR
Prof. Michał KLEIBERProf. Michał KLEIBERMINISTERMINISTER
The LautenschlThe Lautenschlääger Research Prize 2005ger Research Prize 2005
ACCOUNTABILITY OF RESEARCH: ETHICS AND COMMUNICATION
SCIENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE
EUROPEAN SCIENCE POLICY –
DO WE HAVE IT, DO WE NEED IT?
MottoEither we take hold of the future or the future will take hold of us
Patrick Dixon
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
The pursuit and diffusion of knowledge enjoy a place of distinction in European tradition, and the public expects to reap considerable benefit from creative contributions of researchers.
It is still generally accepted that supporting university education and different forms of research is a crucial element in advancing public good.
MESSAGE No. 1
MAKE RESEARCH ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC
BUT:Society will support research only as long as it feels it can trust the scientists and the institutions that employ them – accountability of research endeavor to the public is a crucial requirement in this regard, whereas integrity in the conduct of research is an important part of that accountability.
Society at large must be convinced that scientific activity is at its service.
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
HOWEVER:Scientists are no longer perceived exclusively as guardians of objective truth but also as defenders of their own (individual or group) interests in a media driven scientific marketplace.
THEREFORE:It is more important than ever that individual researchers and their institutions constantly assess the values that guide their research
UNFORTUNATELY: No established measures for assessing integrity in the research
environment exist Fostering responsible conduct in research must be done in a creative
way, otherwise it may be ineffective Institutional self-assessment appears to be a constructive and
promising approach to improving integrity of research.
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
ACCOUNTABILITY means much more than ethical behaviour, of course.
Since a significant percentage of research is funded with tax money, everyone using those funds has an obligation to explain to the public in understandable language how that money has been used.
The message may seem convincing but make no mistake:
A bottom line here may be that science should give up a part of its autonomy and transfer it to non-scientists!
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
HOWEVER, IS SOCIETY PREPARED
TO EXERCISE ITS INFLUENCE ON SCIENCE?
How we should talk the public into debating the ways to:
understand merits and scope of scientific inquiry
address in a non-biased way controversial issues
(GMO’s, stem cells, nuclear energy, religious
orthodoxy, ...)
deal with privacy of research data
. . . .
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
science dispenses both beneficial and adverse effects
science input is often limited to a short-term horizon
there are serious negative effects of compartmentalization of disciplines, hyperspecialization and brain drain
information overload becomes at places unmanageable, prompting ex cathedra pronouncements
large private companies may monopolize the information highways with the quality and objectivity of the data transmitted difficult to control
PROBLEMS TO BE OPENLY DEBATED
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
THERE IS EVIDENCE TO THE EFFECT THAT THE CREDIBILITY
PROBLEM SCIENCE FACES TODAY
IS BIGGER THAN EVER BEFORE.
THE PUBLIC APPEARS TO OFTEN QUESTION
WHETHER PROGRESS IN SCIENCE
BRINGS ABOUT ANY COHERENT INCREASE
IN WELL-BEING OF THE HUMAN RACE AT ALL.
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
SUGGESTIONS
OF A SCIENCE COMMUNICATION PRACTITIONER
There is no such thing as a ‘general audience’ and, consequently, no ‘one-size-fits-all’ method of science communication – different communication programs
should address the needs of different groups (education, age, economic status, familiarity with
specific technologies, local community needs
and interests,…)
SCIENCE ATTENTIVE AUDIENCE
those who express a high level of interest in particular science issues and
regularly seek relevant information, less than 10 % of the population in the developed countries
SCIENCE INTERESTED AUDIENCE
those who claim to have some interest about science issues but have casual access to relevant information, perhaps some 40 % of the population
RESIDUAL AUDIENCE
those who are neither interested nor informed about science issues
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
Public understanding of science is something different than appreciationof a research institution – a communication mistake made by manyresearchers wishing to enhance the reputation of their institution ratherthan to explain the phenomenon of public interest.
Scientists themselves must be involved in communication programs– in an era of sophisticated and complex science it is only them who
can make room for a much higher degree of connection acrossscience and society
Individual scientists and research institutions should be strongly encouraged to find ways to communicate all their findings – particularly important in health and environment sector
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
Communication programs should illustrate both processes and products of science, and relate it to the everyday environment
Communication programs should involve multimedia and interactivity
Evidence exists that in order to gain public support trust in research institutions is more important than knowledge about research results, risk factors involved in specific applications and even awareness of new developments
TRUST CAN ONLY BE WON IN THE COURSE
OF CONSTANT DIALOGUE WITH THE PUBLIC
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
A NEW CONTRACTREDEFINING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
Society has to be constantly trying to better understand science
Society has to work out better ways to foster and controlpublic expenditures on research
Science has to be constantly making every effort to evoke societal interest in it
Science has to be made more accountable
A key ingredient in trying to overcome the current crisis is
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
SCIENCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE – or how not to overlook opportunities and threats?
Is IST a slogan, an uncontrolled revolution or a controllable development?
IST: the means rather than the goal!
IST crucial for handling existing and creating new knowledge.
As in other sectors of public life, the use of IST has become a crucial factor in maximizing research benefits.
MESSAGE No. 2
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
PREDICTIONS Evolution of IT will continue to be characterized by rapid exponential
growth with the Net becoming truly ubiquitous and pervasive
IT will challenge traditional academic institutions by relaxing constraints of space, and time, and benefits of ‘monopoly’
IT will change dramatically the ways we handle storage of and access to data, information and knowledge thus elevating the importance of intellectual capital relative to physical and financial capital
IT will greatly influence the methodology of scientific endeavor
HOW WILL IT DEVELOPMENTS INFLUENCE THE METHODOLOGY OF SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVOR AND HOW WILL THEY REDEFINE THE MISSION AND STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTION?
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
THE IMPACT OF IT ON THE SCIENCE INSTITUTION
WILL BE PROFOUND TRANSFORMING
NOT ONLY ‘INTELECTUAL’ PART OF IT
(RESEARCH, EDUCATION, OUTREACH)
BUT ALSO ITS ‘ADMINISTRATIVE’ PART (STRUCTURE, FINANCES, GOVERNANCE).
THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF EMERGING
A GLOBAL „KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING” INDUSTRY.
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
The typical issues to be addressed are: How will e-learning affect traditional teacher-centered instruction? How will the idea of residential campuses be affected? How will tackling large-scale research problems be affected? How to be more effective in the planning, procurement and management
of ITIT infrastructure? How to handle new developments in regard to intellectual property,
copyright, instructional-content ownership or faculty contracts? How should the university address the evolving commercial marketplace
for educational services and content? Will the universities be forced to merge into larger ones (similarly to the
corporate world)? Will they find it necessary to outsource or spin-off many of its activities? What are the changes in national and European policies that are required
to keep the research institutions in step with evolving ITIT?
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
FOR AT LEAST A DECADE (OR SLIGHTLY LESS) THE PACE OF
CHANGE WILL BE RATHER SLOW
– INACTION AND PROCRASTINATION NOW
WOULD BE HIGHLY DENGEROUS
IN VIEW OF CERTAINTY OF RAPID ADVANCES IN IT
AND THE ‘NATURAL’ INABILITY OF THE RESEARCH INSTITUTION
TO CHANGE ITSELF FAST.
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
DO WE NEED EUROPEAN SCIENCE POLICY?
Institutional problem of EU science policy:
Rooted in unanswered question of Europe federalism/non-federalism which new European institutions (if any at all) should be created to respond to problems of science?
The European Council of Ministers for Research does not decide on anything relevant to European science policy – rather it tackles marginal issues of a rather particular instrument called FP.
There is no other political administrative body to debate questions of science policy in Europe.
MESSAGE No. 3
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
MORE GENERALLY
I DOUBT THAT SCIENCE POLICY NOWADAYS LIES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MAIN STREAM EUROPEAN POLITICS.
HOW SHOULD WE MAKE SCIENCE A POLITICALLY RELEVANT ISSUE?
IS AN INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF SCIENTISTS IN SHAPING EUROPEAN SCIENCE POLICY AN ANSWER?
IS THE EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL A STEP IN THIS DIRECTION?
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER
Research
Education
Innovation
REI as inas in
AND IT DOES INDEED!AND IT DOES INDEED!It is up to us to see It is up to us to see
that it moves in the rigthat it moves in the righht directiont direction
α α ααα α ii
SCIENCE for SOCIETY SCIENCE for SOCIETY Michał KLEIBERMichał KLEIBER