The Second Edition of Science Communication 360° Sought Answers to Systemic Challenges and Opportunities
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the second edition of the Science Communication 360° conference took place at the Jinonice Campus. The event was jointly organized by the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University, and the SciComHub platform. What did this day full of inspiration, experience-sharing, and lively cross-disciplinary discussions bring?
The day opened with welcoming remarks by the new Rector of Charles University, Jiří Zima, who emphasized the importance of high-quality science communication and the responsibility universities bear toward society—stemming not only from the public funding of research. This was followed by a speech by Ondřej Beránek, Vice President of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who placed science communication in the broader context of disinformation threats and urged the scientific community to recognize that their work should not end with the publication of an academic article.
In the closing keynote of the opening session, Petra Dachtler, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Prague, presented results from the Wissenschaftsbarometer survey, according to which as many as 70% of respondents call for greater involvement of scientists in public debate. At the same time, public trust in scientists remains relatively high, as confirmed by recent international research, including a study with Czech participation published in Nature. The question, however, is how we choose to work with this trust—and that was precisely one of the central themes of this year’s conference program.
The morning block featured two keynote lectures. Christina Beck, Head of Communications at the Max Planck Society, offered an insightful look at how the role of science communication is changing in an era of strong algorithmization and presented the Society’s strategy, which emphasizes relationship-building with audiences and accessible framing of scientific topics based on societal needs.
Tomáš Koblížek from the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences then shared his personal story as a science popularizer and spoke about the challenges of communicating science in a polarized society—particularly with regard to sensitive topics such as freedom of speech and hate speech.
A common thread in both talks was the emphasis on open dialogue and the effort to bring science closer to people and to their real interests and concerns, which do not always align with research priorities. Communication, however, can help bridge this gap. Both keynotes generated new impulses and questions that participants returned to during a subsequent panel discussion moderated by Daniel Stach, as well as in further debates throughout the day.
The afternoon was dedicated to participatory discussion forums. Participants could choose among topics such as interdisciplinary communication, institutional support, and relationships with journalists. The moderated sessions offered not only examples of good practice, but also space for sharing diverse experiences and joint brainstorming. The conclusions of the individual groups will now be compiled into conference proceedings so that all relevant stakeholders can continue working with them.
Evening networking, following the closing remarks, was enriched by a creative element prepared by SciComHub: participants wrote their reflections, communication dreams, and future topic ideas on panels placed in the atrium. These inputs will also be further processed and will serve as a source of inspiration for the continued development of the conference and the community. A pleasant highlight of the evening was the announcement of the all-day bingo winners, for which Tomáš Koblížek donated three copies of his new book Disinformation and Hate Speech from the Perspective of Philosophy, Law, and Security.
Once again, we thank everyone who engaged in discussions, embraced new ideas, shared their experiences, and helped give the conference an energy that does not end with a single meeting. We look forward to next time!
Photos from the conference – morning: https://eu.zonerama.com/AVCR/Album/14676434
Photos from the conference – afternoon: https://eu.zonerama.com/AVCR/Album/14681605
Recording of the morning livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/i3H6Rqszf_U
