Science communication: sharing knowledge and creating connections

* Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The physical mobility part will take place in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid from 26 to 30 June.

Most of the workshop will be practical to give participants of hands-on work in the field of communication. There will be as well individual and team work to develop different projects, such as a video production. Please, see the brochure below for further information.

Virtual part

The virtual component of this program is set from 22 March to 29 September 2023.

The courses that will take place virtually have a more theoretical approach, leaving the more practical courses to the on-site visit. Participants will be registered in the CIVIS Moodle, where they will have access to the course calendar, the link to the meeting, as well as the before and after literature. The work requested by the lecturers will also be described there.

There will be in three roundtables around science communication and citizen science topics. This discussion invites participants to question involvement in citizen science programs, methodologies and tools, ethics issues…

• 22 March (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Communicating Science: Lessons from the History of Science
• 24 March (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Science in Popular Culture and Popular Science
• 29 March (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Perspectives beyond outreach 
• 31 March (15.00 - 16.00 CET): Roundtable I Scientific images in the history of science 
• 3 May (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Museums of Science and Technology 
• 10 May (15.00 - 17.00 CET): How to compose a scientific video? I
• 17 May (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Sharing knowledge and expertise in collaborations  
• 24 May (15.00 - 17.00 CET): How to compose a scientific video? II  
• 26 May (15.00 - 16.00 CET): Roundtable II: Citizen Science  
• 31 May (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Writing about science I 
• 7 June (15.00 - 17.00 CET): Managing your social media presence as a researcher 
• 14 June (15.00 - 17.00 CET): How to create a podcast? I
• 21 June (15.00 - 16.00 CET): How to create a podcast? II 
• 21 June (16.00 - 17.00 CET): Activities open to the general public I 
• 6 September: Q&A session final project
• 15 September: Delivery of the project 
• 27 - 29 September: Project presentation 

Requirements

This course is open to PhD students at CIVIS member universities. 

A B2 level of English is required.

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

Pedagogical objectives

• To understand the usefulness of communicating science to a variety of publics
• To analyse models of science communication (including in the context of citizen science) and how to apply them
• Acquire theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the production of written and oral texts on scientific topics aimed at the general public
• Acquire skills in the organisation of science communication events aimed at the public
• Acquire the theoretical basis and practical skills to facilitate the exchange of scientific and technological knowledge and expertise between people with different professional backgrounds
• Acquire the techniques of popularising science in the audiovisual media and social networks
• Foster interdisciplinary debates and cultural exchange between students from different CIVIS universities.

Application process

Interested students should apply by filling in the online application form by 28 February 2023. 

Participants will be evaluated according to their motivation. A second selection will take place to allow fair representation of disciplines, universities and gender.

Apply now

Assessment

Participants must attend at least 70% of seminars and workshops of the program and hand the practical work required from the lecturers to obtain the certificate of attendance and the credits.

On top of this, participants will be organized in groups for a final project. This final project entitles a practical product, for example, a podcast, video or interview, and a theoretical approach/reflection to it, a communication plan. The evaluation will go as follows:

• 50% for attendance and delivery of practical work (minimum 70% attendance)
• 50% for the final project (only to be evaluated if the participants reach the minimum of attendance)

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

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