Description

Biodiversity decline, global warming, droughts, floods, wildfires … we hear about ecological crises all the time. As researchers in life sciences, we are challenged by friends, family or even in a professional context. Everybody seeks our expert opinion. Sometimes, it is not easy to know what we can say, how to express our opinions or even how to dismantle our personal feelings from our scientific posture. In a serie of “civic engagement lunch breaks”, we propose to think about the societal role researchers can endorse.

 We will address the following questions: 

•       What are the researcher's responsibilities in times of ecological crisis?

•       How can scientific work take the societal dimension into account?

•       Should researchers play an active role in raising ecological awareness?

•       Should researchers engage in politics?

•       How?

1 credit for attending at least 4 of the 6 meetings (Category T)