Nowadays as researchers we are increasingly expected to communicate our science to a wider audience, to engage in dialogue with citizens and other actors, or pitch our research for funding to a non-specialist audience. Science communication is an integral part of our responsibility to society. As with any skill, practice makes perfect—and progress is faster when we share our experiences. This is what we do at the Science Communication Club!
The next Science Communication Club will take place on Thursday 25 June 2026 (12:30 – 13:30h) in Ravelijn VIP room RA1315.
Keeping climate conversations ongoing beyond political positions
Gerard Martinéz Görbig is a PhD Candidate at the ITC faculty studying climate change and cities by working on improving the on-ground implementation of just climate action.
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where an audience (or even friends) just won’t listen or won’t trust your results because your topic has a political connotation? When climate change enters the room, it often comes with opinionated claims, facts, and “facts.” It’s much more than numbers: it’s about perception and, unfortunately, political positioning. And when some results touch major economic sectors, such as energy production, transport, and so on, the conversation quickly goes beyond temperature changes. This short talk shares a practical facilitation approach for leading discussions with citizens and practitioners on politicised topics without losing the attention of those who are sceptical or opposed. The lessons come not only from research on the uptake and implementation of climate action, but also from practitioner experiences. The session will share few examples of how to bring people on board, outlining how to create basic entry points, separate interests from positionalities, and find the best approach to keep everyone engaged beyond their political views.
Making Science Visuals Engaging (and Fun)
Tatiana Soto-Montero works as a postdoc researcher at the Industrial Focus Group XUV Optics at the MESA+ Institute, and at the same time is a freelancer who collaborates with researchers helping them enhance the visual design of their work. This includes creating and refining images for proposals, as well as designing cover images, thesis covers, schematics, graphical abstracts (TOCs), and occasionally videos.
As a material scientist Tatiana is driven by a deep curiosity for the structures, properties, and applications of materials. Beyond the lab, she believes that science can be experienced not just through data but visually as a form of art. Through her work, she transforms complex scientific concepts into captivating visuals or dynamic videos that showcase the beauty of science to all, scientists and non-scientists alike. In this session she will share her tips.
PhD students can earn a certificate of 0.5 EC by attending 5 meetings and presenting / discussing an own example. Subscribe to Teams and put the dates in your agenda.
Dates in 2026:
- Thursday 17 September 2026, venue tbc
- Thursday 29 October 2026, venue tbc
- Thursday 26 November 2026, venue tbc
