Blog CRC1646

This year’s European Science Engagement (EUSEA) conference was held at Luxembourg University, on May 17-19, with the participation of project Ö and, among others, our collaboration partners from the Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld. In 2026, the conference marked its 25th anniversary under the theme “In Other Words and Other Worlds: Confronting Assumptions for Better Engagement“. It brought together science communicators, researchers, public engagement practitioners, educators, and others commited to advancing more engaging science outreach from across Europe.

The theme of EUSEA26 critically examined assumptions that often constrain formats for engaging the public with scientific topics and science communication. Particular attention was paid to strategic orientation, the impact of digital transformation, and the ways in which current developments challenge the foundations of public engagement and science communication. One of the key questions repeatedly raised during the conference was why public engagemen matters in the first place, leading to discussions of both the opportunities and the challenges it presents for society and research.

The first keynote, delivered by Mirko Bischofberger (Science Studios; lecturer at EPFL and ETH Zurich), addressed AI-driven communication and the potential erosion of trust and authenticity in increasingly personalised environments. The second-day keynote by Laura Lindenfield (Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, Stony Brook University, State of New York) emphasised audience-centered communication and the use of improvisation-based training approaches to strengthen researchers’ outreach skills.

During the poster session, Tim Rittig (Ö) presented the poster „Implementing Public Engagement Infrastructure Mechanisms – Insights from a Linguistics Collaborative Research Centre“, which offered initial findings from the evaluation of public engagement events conducted by and with several CRC projects. The session prompted a fruitful exchange on how to provide effective infrastructure for participatory science communication, as well as on how evaluation can be adapted to different format and contexts.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion entitled „Whose Science Is It Anyway? Democracy, Integrity, and the Fight for the Public Good“, which addressed current political tensions and challenges posed by missinformation and disinformation when researchers engage with the public. The EUSEA27, will be hosted by University of Glasgow in Scotland.

Historischer Hochofen auf dem Campus Belval der Universität Luxemburg © Tim Rittig

Tim Rittig (Ö) © Sascha Hermannski, SFB 1646