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Dit is een Engelstalige training. Lees verder voor de Engelstalige beschrijving.

Engaging in the public debate is important and offers opportunities, but it can also be challenging. Especially when discussing sensitive or complex topics, it is important to be prepared for critical and sometimes emotional reactions. For researchers and staff within the Pathways to Sustainability (PtS) community, we are offering a two-part Public Engagement training. In this course you will learn how to responsibly, safely and effectively engage in dialogue with the outside world. We will work with real-life cases and dilemmas from the PtS community and practice how to improve the quality of communications in situations where things become heated.   

This training is a special Pathways to Sustainability edition of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ’s successful Academics in the Public Arena programme, and consists of two sessions. 

Session 1 | Scholars in the Public Arena
28 October, 09:30 – 12:30, Minnaert 0.15

What can you encounter in the public debate, and how do you deal with it?
Questions that will be addressed during this session are: What roles can you take in the public debate? What audiences can you encounter, which questions, concerns and criticism can you expect from them - and how do you deal with that? Which rights and which level of influence do you have when you cooperate with a media request? How do you deal with unpleasant reactions or even intimidation when speaking at a public event or scientific conference?

The aim of Scholars in the public arena is to show - from a science-philosophical context and with the help of communication and journalistic theory - the dynamics at play in the public debate. Themes such as interaction between science and society, different approaches to what science is for and social impact are covered. The sessions also provide practical guidance on how to participate in the public debate in a qualitative, principled and safe manner.

Session 2 | Visual Dialogue Method training
24 November, 13:30 – 16:30, Vening Meineszgebouw A - 1.04

The Visual Dialogue Method by Tessa van Charldorp and Lisanne van Weelden (Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ) enables you to have conversations that are based on equality, with the goal of creating a better understanding of each other’s perspective. Important ingredients are creating a safe setting, practicing a neutral stance and asking questions without judgment. This method is a valuable approach for conversations about science with people outside academia, especially about potentially polarising research fields or topics. In this training, you will learn how to apply the Visual Dialogue Method and get plenty of opportunity to practice.

Register by sending an email to pathwaystosustainability@uu.nl 
Participation is free of charge, but places are limited - so register soon!