Strategic lessons on science communication from research on citizen science partnerships
As a former academic, I’ve had the pleasure of attending dozens of PhD defenses over the years. Some mainly for moral support, others for the actual results. Last October, I was on my way to Ghent for both, looking forward to the PhD defense of fellow BE SciComm board member Sofie Verkest.
Finally, a PhD defense in the field of science communication—at a Belgian university! I wanted to experience this rare event first-hand. Even if this meant sitting through a presentation and examination in a field of science very different from my own: linguistics. As I was walking towards the venue, I was wondering how much a ‘beta-scientist’ like me would even be able to understand.