Activism in science - does it work? (Episode #08)

Recently, science and research have been confronted with claims and expectations from the field of political, social and humanitarian activism. Funding institutions are also formulating criteria of social relevance that resemble those of activism. The activist challenge is often dismissed by academics as an encroachment on academic freedom. But perhaps more interesting is the question of how activism and science can provoke and challenge each other in a productive and mutually enriching way. The questions arise in their own way equally in teaching and research, at institutions of basic research and at museums. With a view to institutions such as research museums and their position between the general public and science, between education, research and policy (consultation), current environmental activist challenges to science are focused on, for example. Moderator Nancy Fischer discusses these topics with Dr. Judith Nora Hardt from the Franco-German research center for social sciences Centre Marc Bloch, Dr. Patrick Eiden-Offe from the Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Research and Dr. Elisabeth Heyne from the Natural History Museum Berlin.

Editors of the episode: Patrick Eiden-Offe (ZfL), Elisabeth Heyne (MfN), Sebastien Vannier (CMB), Gregor Hofmann (WZB/BR50), and Anja Sommerfeld (FVB/BR50).

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Discussing in the episode (from left to right): Dr. Elisabeth Heyne from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, moderator Nancy Fischer, Dr. Patrick Eiden-Offe from the Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Research and Dr. Judith Nora Hardt from the Centre Marc Bloch.

Discussing in the episode (from left to right): Dr. Elisabeth Heyne from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, moderator Nancy Fischer, Dr. Patrick Eiden-Offe from the Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Research and Dr. Judith Nora Hardt from the Centre Marc Bloch.