The Science & You call for papers, which was closed on 19 February 2021, aroused major national and international interest. With the current health crisis and in an era where education in critical thinking is of particular importance, the subject of science/society relations has rallied the scientific community along with mediators at cultural organisations and scientific centres.
Nearly 420 proposals from 60 different countries were recorded on the dedicated platform – a result that surpassed expectations and smashed the record of the previous editions held in Nancy, Montreal and Beijing. The event’s international reputation is confirmed, with proposals arriving from 60 countries on all four continents.
With 178 proposals submitted, France is the country with the highest participation rate. French is not the language most represented, however, as almost two thirds of participants are English-speaking.
These figures express the broad scope of current thought given to scientific, technical and industrial culture and the need to exchange views on scientific mediation. Our colleagues at the University of Lorraine, an institution that has long been involved in scientific and technical culture, have sent thirty proposals for papers or participation in discussion panels – a reflection of the strong regional dynamic and the thought being given on science/society questions.
One of Science & You’s distinctive characteristics is that it provides a variety of perspectives by bringing together researchers and scientific mediation professionals. Although researchers, teachers and lecturers account for almost half of participants, practitioners have also come forward: together, project managers, communication and public relations professionals, executives, freelancers and journalists account for 36.4% of responses. There has been unforced gender parity in the call for papers’ results, with almost equal representation.
It is this diversity that makes Science & You a one-of-a-kind event, with high added-value encounters and study days in a multicultural international context.
Papers are currently being examined and are set to be selected in April by the event’s international scientific committee chaired by Professor Martin W. Bauer, researcher in social psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. They will form the basis for the colloquium’s programme, which will run from 16 to 19 November 2021 at the Robert Schumann Conference Centre in Metz.
