Public & Science Sweden champions academic freedom at UNESCO’s General Conference

Freedom of expression and academic freedom were central themes when Public & Science’s Secretary-General, Ulrika Björkstén, took part in UNESCO’s General Conference in Samarkand, serving as an advisor within the Swedish delegation.

Our current activities

Engaging citizens with science: INSPIRING ERA online event
How can we make citizen engagement in research more meaningful, more inclusive, and more impactful? This INSPIRING ERA online event on 27 January, organised by Public & Science Sweden, brings together experts, practitioners and policymakers to explore what works in public engagement and citizen science. The session will share practical lessons from innovative initiatives across Europe and highlight insights generated through European mutual learning on how to bring science closer to citizens. Read more.

Public & Science Sweden is hub for European science communication collaboration
Public & Science Sweden has set up a national resource centre for training in science communication, offering courses, support and opportunities for knowledge exchange. At the same time, a European counterpart is being developed via the COALESCE project, with Public & Science representing Sweden as the national hub. Read more.

How can science communicators help in a crisis?
The EU COALESCE project has now published a strategic tool and support resource to help researchers, communicators and journalists act quickly, effectively and responsibly when a crisis arises. The Crisis Navigator demonstrates how science communication can play a vital role before, during and after a crisis – not only by sharing facts, but by fostering dialogue, building trust, managing uncertainty and supporting reflection. Read more.

Our recent activities

Swedish Researchers’ Night sparks curiosity across all ages
This year’s ForskarFredag, Sweden’s European Researchers’ Night, welcomed over 26,000 participants, with 550 researchers contributing to activities across the country. Visitors of all ages took part in experiments, discussions, workshops and classroom visits, gaining insights into research and the people behind it. Read more. 

Trust in focus at the 2025 Swedish Forum for Science Communication
Nearly 300 professionals in science communication gathered in Stockholm on 19 November for this year’s Forum for Science Communication (FFF). Organised annually by Public & Science, with the support of seven partners (funders and universities), FFF is the largest Nordic conference for everyone working with, or interested in, communicating science. The conference theme this year – trust – set the tone for a day of keynote presentations, panel discussions and networking. Read more.

Public Trust in Science – Safeguarding Academic Freedom and Objectivity
Public & Science’s Secretary-General Ulrika Björkstén took part in a seminar at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) in October, addressing declining trust in science and growing pressures on academic freedom. Speakers from Sweden, Europe and the U.S. discussed how universities can protect integrity, democracy and social responsibility in research. Read more.

Bringing the hidden world of soil to light during Researchers’ Night
As the EU LOESS project on soil literacy enters its third and final year, its activities were teeming with life during Swedish Researchers’ Night. Visitors in eight locations across Sweden explored the scents of compost, the networks of fungi and the bustling micro-life beneath our feet through hands-on soil experiences. Read more.

Students share visions for Europe’s soils at International Summer Camp
Students from across Europe gathered online on 24 September to exchange insights from their national soil camps and discuss shared challenges for soil health. The International Summer Camp, organised and hosted by Public & Science Sweden as part of the EU LOESS project, highlighted young people’s ideas for a more sustainable future for Europe’s soils. Read more.

Public & Science Sweden in social media