Science and Society: EU Strategy and actions

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Science and SocietyEU Strategy and actions
Dr. Rainer GEROLDDirector Science and
SocietyResearch DGEuropean Commission
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Eurobarometer Survey 2001Member States

• Divergent views on science and society
• among the European population
• 80 of Europeans believe that science will one
  day overcome diseases such as AIDS or cancer,
  but
• 46 of Europeans are both uninformed and
  uninterested in science Highest level of
  interest and knowledge in Sweden
• Citizens do not always trust science and
  scientists 80 believe authorities should
  oblige scientists to observe ethical rules
• Young people do not find scientific studies and
  careers very attractive

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Science Society Action PlanGenesis

• January 2000 Towards a European Research Area
• November 2000, Working Document entitled
  Science, society and the citizen in Europe,
  which was dealt with by the CREST.
• The Council asked the Member States and the
  Commission to promote science in society,and
  invited the Commission to submit its action plan
  on science and society issues by the end of
  2001(Council Resolution June 2001).
• December 2001, the Commission presented the
  Action Plan on Science and Society.

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Science Society Action Plan

• The Science and Society Action Plan is built on
  examples of best practices in the Member States.
• The Action Plan can only be implemented in close
  cooperation with the Member States.
• Numerous players are involved local and
  regional public authorities, the general public,
  civil society, industry,
• The Commission acts as a catalyst, using all the
  means available in particular in FP6 (networking,
  supporting actions, etc.)

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Science and Society Action Plan

• Public awareness
• Science education and careers
• Dialogue with citizens

Promoting scientific education and culture in
Europe

• Involving civil society
• Producing gender equality in science
• Research and foresight for society

A science policy closer to the citizens

• The ethical dimension in science and new
  technologies
• Risk governance
• The use of expertise

A responsible science at the heart of policy
making
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How to increase public awareness?

• European Science Week Coordination of national
  Science Weeks
• Embedding of Science Communication in all EU
  projects (transparency)

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How to attract young people to science ?

• To ensure of having enough researchers in the
  future
• Science Education initiative
• EU Young Scientists Contest
• A dialogue in each MS on the issue of human
  resources on Science, engineering and technology
  is required to meet the Lisbon objectives

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How to encourage women in scientific research?

• Statistics to monitor progress on involving more
  women in science she figures leaky
  pipeline Helsinki Group
• Up-to-date statistics and indicators
• MainstreamingIntegrating the gender dimension
  in FP6 projects
• Women in Industrial research
• To analyse and improve the role and the
  participation of women in industrial research

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How to enhance European dialogue and ethical
awareness of researchers?

• Networking of ethical committees at national and
  at local level Forum of national ethics
  councils (dialogue),organised once by each EU
  presidency
• Ethical review of FP projects
• Special attention on new EU Member States and on
  developing countries (dialogue, training,
  courses)

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How to enhance the link between science and
policy making?

• By mutual learning
• Guidelines on the collection and use of expertise
  
• Improving the knowledge base for better
  policies
• SINAPSE Scientific INformAtion for Policy
  Support in Europe
• Web tool facilitating exchange of information
  within the scientific community and other actors
  concerned by science

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Science and/in Society

• Why on European level?
• Integral part of Framework Programme
• Dimension of the European Research Area
• Mutual learning through  open coordination 
• Necessary for building the European Knowledge
  Society

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The 3 Pillars Approach
FP 6
EMBEDDING
STRUCTURING
omc
3 Pillars
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European Forum onScience and Society - 2005

• Science and Society showcases
• Assessment of the Science and Society Action
  Plan, to see how far Science and Society
  activities contribute to the Lisbon and
  Göteborg objectives
• Science Society in the new EU science policy
  - Debates on cross-cutting issues - Interaction
  with local sites
• When and where? 9-11 March 2005 in Brussels

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2 CORE ISSUES
3 NATIONAL SITES
1 SHOWCASES
local initiatives Member States or FP6
e.g. mapping benchmarking
e.g. tomorrows society
1 Show cases Seeing is believing
SS in the new EU science policy
SCIENTIFIC CULTURE

WHAT NEXT ? ActorsGovernmentsCommission

SOCIETY
POLICY


CORE ISSUES will be defined 5 months prior to
the event, through normal consultation processes
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Further information

• Info Deskrtd-sciencesociety_at_cec.eu.int
• Work programme, Information on the calls for
  proposals, Info-packs available via Internet
• http//www.cordis.lu/science-society/
• Call for expressions of interest
• http//www.cordis.lu/eoi/science-society/
• Science and Society on the web
• http//europa.eu.int/comm/science-society/