VA Barometer 2023: Swedes’ confidence
in research is at a record high

As many as 87 percent of Swedes say that they have fairly or very high confidence in researchers at Swedish universities. This is one of the findings of the 2022/23 VA Barometer investigating the Swedish public’s attitudes towards science and research, now available in English. It is the 21st Barometer since it was first conducted in 2002.

VA to say farewell to Secretary General,
Cissi Askwall

After 18 years at VA (Public & Science), including twelve as Secretary General, Cissi Askwall is leaving to work at the Swedish Research Council. There, she will be leading the development of a national platform for research news and science communication. The recruitment of a new Secretary General is now underway.

Current activities

VA to present at 2023 PCST conference
The global science communication community will come together for the 2023 international  Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) conference in Rotterdam, 11–14 April. VA is involved in eight sessions, where colleagues will present results and insights from a number of our projects and studies. Read more.

Meet VA at the 2023 EUSEA conference
VA colleagues will be contributing to this year’s European Science Engagement Conference, 3–4 May, in Bolzano, Italy. Learn more about our nation-wide citizen science project, the Plastic Experiment, as well as participate in a workshop on Intersectoral Engagement using planetary health as a case study. VA’s Cissi Askwall will also be opening the conference as President of EUSEA. Read more.

New EU project to take a broader approach to mental health
Mental illness is one of the greatest societal challenges but healthcare is largely focused on treating symptoms only. RE-MEND is a new Horizon Europe project that wants to generate new knowledge on the prevention of mental illness. VA is one of 15 partners involved in this five-year multidisciplinary project, which began in January 2023. VA’s focus will be on citizen science, stakeholder engagement and communication. Read more.

Save the date: International conference on Open Science, 16–17 May
A host of partners, led by VA, are organising a conference on “Open Science – From Policy to Practice'' on 16–17 May. Join policy makers, researchers, practitioners and stakeholders from across Europe, in Stockholm or online, to exchange knowledge and practices on ways to best implement the various dimensions of Open Science. Register your interest to receive an invitation to the conference.

VA’s recent activities

Science café explores the future direction of new technologies
VR, AR and XR… navigating through a new technological landscape is not entirely easy. On 15 February, VA organised a science café at Hallunda Folkets Hus, a cultural centre in Botkyrka, to explore the future development of these digital extended reality technologies and their societal implications. The activity was part of VA’s work in the EU TechEthos project to gather societal perspectives on the ethics of emerging technologies. Read more.

VA helps to build engagement capacity in EU project
To ensure real impact and buy-in, stakeholder and citizen engagement are an important part of EU-funded projects. VA is responsible for these activities in the GENDERACTIONplus project, and recently ran a capacity building event to inspire project partners. Read more.

Strengthen civic engagement amongst young people
In the EU project YouCount, young people and researchers from nine countries are investigating how involvement in society can increase social inclusion. In Sweden, VA, Botkyrka Youth Council and researchers at Södertörn University have been running workshops with young people in Botkyrka to develop research questions and methods, and to discuss social innovations the young community wants to see. Read more.

VA in social media