Creating the conditions for genuine engagement of citizens and other societal actors in matters of their concern where science and technology are relevant is an issue of increasing political attention; not least because the diffusion of “low cost” and “low tech” media through which citizens can, like never before, express opinions and concerns calls for institutional reflexivity.

Yet, such background does not guarantee that citizens are actually engaged or their voices accounted for. There has been an effort at institutional levels to walk the talk of societal engagement.

For example, European regulatory frameworks increasingly ask for citizens to be engaged in the policy practices of their institutions, and emerging styles of governance include the call for more societal engagement.

For example, the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) discourse that permeates the Horizon2020 research framework recognises excellence of science, technology and innovation dimensions that are beyond the traditional framings of excellence.

Public engagement is one of the pillars of the RRI lemma, together with Ethics.

This training course responds to a concrete lack of genuine and legitimate places whereby institutions can explore insights, expectations and imaginaries of citizens in matters of concern to all.

This training is concerned with the science for policy realm where engagement of citizens is needed and relevant to ensure quality of policy formulation processes in situations described in the framework of “post-normal science” where “facts uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high and decisions urgent".

This training will look into participatory approaches to discuss science and technology developments as well as discuss what makes trustful relationships between the scientific community and the public trustworthy.

In a nutshell this training offers a hands-on reflection on the theoretical and regulatory basis as well as methods of citizen engagement. It aims at any practitioners that work at the interface of science, society and policy.

Activities:

The course is grounded on developments and insights in the field of Post-normal Science and Science and Technology Studies.

The approaches that we will present and discuss can help different practitioners (scientists, policy makers, etc.) to address many challenges by providing techniques for re-thinking in a deliberative and participatory manner the social and ethical underpinnings of their work.

STS makes use of a range of – primarily - qualitative formats for doing this. It is guided by principles that have been developed, in part, in the context of fostering citizen participation and deliberation.

The training will start by looking at the practice of public engagement in Europe, in all its forms from invited to non-invited forms, including emerging movements such as citizen science, do-it-yourself research and community based initiatives, as well as discursive and material methods to engage citizens in dialogues about science and technology.

The training is organized into 4 main modules:

1. Understanding citizen engagement in science and technology in the context of policy making
2. Methodologies of citizen engagement focusing on those that sustain dialogue
3. Planning citizen engagement; conditions of application
4. Hands-on and discussion of cases of citizen engagement in science and technology debates.

The participants will work on a case throughout the course that interests the region in which the course is held.

Organisers:

Joint Research Centre of the European Commission
Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Dates and Venue:

12-13 October, 2017
Sarajevo, Parliamentary building, Trg BiH 1
The training will develop over two full days, starting at 9.00 AM on the 12^th October.

Useful Dates:

Deadline for Applications: 20 August 2017
Communication of Acceptance: 6 September 2017

Participants:

Planned number: 25

Profile: Professionals, academics, policy officers or any person whose field of work is science and technology innovation or that work at the interface of science and policy with an interest on public engagement activities about science and technology.

Country of origin: Mostly from countries associated to Horizon 2020.

Grants: Few grants will be available for selected participants which will cover solely travel and accommodation expenses.

To apply please send your CV and motivational letter to:  jrc-sts@ec.europa.eu

Source: EC