Organizing institution:
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
In an ever more complex and globalized political context, scientific advice to policy-making plays an increasingly important role, in particular when addressing the grand challenges ahead, as reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. Establishing a broad dialogue between science, policy and society contributes towards the aim of rebuilding citizens' confidence and thereby strengthening the democratic legitimacy of institutions, while generating the momentum needed to achieve the SDGs. While science advice in the past was usually targeted at a clearly defined recipient, such as a Ministry, an Agency, or a political group, the SDGs demand science advisors to work much more horizontally. Messages need to be passed to many stakeholders across government and parliaments, but also business and civil society, in order to achieve the societal transformations required by the SDGs. The fact that science itself is still largely organized in disciplinary compartments does not help either. At the same time scientists are faced with an increasingly hostile atmosphere of polarized political debate dominated by populists and fake news, which try to undermine the credibility of scientists and accuse them of being part of the problem, rather than the solution. Against this background, the proposed session intends to share insights into best and worst practices of providing science advice and promote an open discussion on how best to deliver science advice in a cross-cutting manner. The session will provide practical tips and tricks on how scientists should engage with policy-makers on complex matters and thereby promote a better understanding of the challenges facing humankind and how science can help achieving the ambitious SDG targets.
