Thursday – ScienceComm – Swiss annual congress of science communication

04. September

08:45 – 09:30

Door opening and registration with coffee

Atrium

09:30 – 10:30

Welcome

Manuel Ammann | University of St.Gallen, Nicola Forster | Science et Cité

Atrium

Entangled, Superimposed, Threatened: Science Communication in the Age of Uncertainty

Miriam Meckel | University of St.Gallen

How can science still be communicated in today’s world—one in which attention is polarized, trust is eroding, and the foundations of scientific freedom are increasingly under pressure?

Keynote (Ω)

Atrium

10:30 – 11:00

Networking and break

Atrium

11:00 – 12:15

Connecting Science – Multimedia and Multilingual Approaches

Forschung trifft Praxis - Herausforderungen gemeinsam angehen – Lisa Mertin

Multilingual - Multilingue - Mehrsprachig – David Ohse

Wissenschaftsjournalismus – plattformübergreifend und multimedial – Patrick Müller

kmapper.org: Basis für interdisziplinäres Storytelling – Cyrill Martin

Free from Fear: Communiquer sur la démence par des récits animés – Anna Messina

Speed Talk Session (Ω)
parallel session

Atrium

Science in Dialogue: Agora Networking Experience

Swiss National Science Foundation

In a dynamic World Café format, team members of ongoing and approved SNSF Agora projects will engage with ScienceComm participants to exchange experiences, foster mutual learning, and explore new perspectives on science communication. Structured small-group discussions will encourage in-depth dialogue, spark fresh ideas, and cultivate connections. Whether you wish to present a project or simply be inspired—this session offers space for exchange, reflection, and networking on equal footing. Join us in shaping the future of science communication together.

parallel session

Gallus

Creative Communication – Messages that Move

Wisskomm trifft Comedy: Humor in Videos zur digitalen Transformation – Sabrina Heike Kessler

FuturePitch - denn Nachhaltigkeit ist ein kreativer Prozess – Mathias Kirf

Umweltforschung visuell erkunden: Objekte—Kunst—Wissenschaft – Benjamin Hofmann

Mechanismus von Antikythera: Der Computer der alten Griechen – Thomas Weibel

Dialogue Session
parallel session

Rosenberg

Beyond the Echo Chamber. Strategies for Inclusive Health Dialogue

Sara Rubinelli | Universität Luzern, Nicola Diviani | Swiss Paraplegic Research, Maddalena Fiordelli | Institute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera italiana

Polarization is a defining challenge in today’s health debates. Echo chambers amplify bias, entrench distrust, and erode the credibility of science and institutions.

Workshop
parallel session

Rotmonten

Utop’IA, une bande dessinée sur les enjeux écologiques de l’IA

Julie Clerget, Frédérique Chessel Lazzarotto | EPFL-Centre LEARN

Dans le cadre de la réforme du système éducatif vaudois intégrant l’éducation numérique, le Centre LEARN a développé diverses ressources sur les enjeux sociaux du numérique. Dans ce contexte, la BD Utop’IA est née en 2023.

Workshop
parallel session

Vadian

12:15 – 13:30

Lunch

Atrium

13:30 – 14:45

Failure Welcome! Learning from Mistakes

Fähri-Talks: Reinfall auf dem Rhein? – Matthias Amman, Fabio Valsangiacomo

Science Fuck Up Night – Sascha Vogel

Le facteur humain dans l'engagement face au changement climatique – Paddy Condevaux

Communicating wonder and failure in Science Shows – Hector Garcia-Morales

Tinkering for inclusion: engaging distant audiences creatively – Marion Alig Jacobson, Cristina Olivotto

Speed Talk Session (Ω)
parallel session

Atrium

Science is Culture – Understanding, Experiencing, Storytelling

Artistic science communication that manages to foster understanding – Michel Bourqui

Show on the Menu: Bringing Particle Physics to the Public – Laura de Vevey

Where Science Meets Experience: Rethinking Dementia Communication – Maddalena Fiordelli

Storytelling under the stars: when science becomes culture – Alessio Lavio

Science Communication and Culture: An Indian Perspective – Afrina Rizvi

Speed Talk Session (EN)
parallel session

Gallus

Open Science – Creating together

Ramène ta science!: Science-ibilisation & Démocratisation des Savoirs – Dorian Ziegler

Et si la Suisse avait sa propre Fête des Sciences ? – Norine Douxami

Pas de blouse, mais une imprimante 3D : faire science sans le dire ? – Mélanie Thomas

Contre la polarisation de la société, la "construction du désaccord" – Richard-Emmanual Eastes

Dialogue Session
parallel session

Rosenberg

Alternative Media, Alternative Publics? A Deliberation Lab

Maud Reveilhac | LUT University, Finland

How do people engage with alternative news media, and what does this mean for trust in science and its communicators?

Workshop
parallel session

Rotmonten

Savoir public – Wissenschaft für alle, direkt und persönlich

Marco Vencato | Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Corinna Virchow, Mario Kaiser | Verein savoir public, Pascal Walther | Schweizerischer Nationalfonds, Sereina Tanner | Blick/Ringier

Wie kann Wissenschaftskommunikation helfen, Polarisierung zu überwinden? «Savoir public» bringt Menschen mit Fragen direkt mit wissenschaftlichen Expert:innen in Kontakt – online und persönlich.

Workshop
parallel session

Vadian

14:45 – 15:15

Pause

15:15 – 15:35

Award ceremony - Prix Optimus

Swiss National Science Foundation

Young people are increasingly confronted with content generated by artificial intelligence – but how can they learn to recognise and interpret it? This is precisely where the project “All fake – or what?” comes in, which has been awarded the 2025 Optimus Agora Prize by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The project was developed by Linards Udris, Jens Lucht and Rebekka Rieser from the University of Zurich as well as Gerold Brägger from IQES. Their goal is to firmly embed AI and media literacy into school curricula. Students should learn to critically question AI-generated content and evaluate it with confidence – a key skill in an increasingly digital world.

Plenum (Ω)

Atrium

15:35 – 16:05

Science communication with impact in turbulent times. A comparison: Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Wissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee

Das Panel bringt Expertise aus drei Ländern zusammen, um Erfolgsmodelle, Herausforderungen und Synergien zu diskutieren.

Podium (Ω)

Atrium

16:05 – 16:20

Science Slam: Wissenschaft trifft Comedy

Michael Morari

Serious science, seriously fun — that's what a Science Slam is.

Plenum (Ω)

Atrium

16:20 – 17:15

Apéro

Atrium

Programme

Door opening and registration with coffee

Atrium

Welcome

Manuel Ammann | University of St.Gallen, Nicola Forster | Science et Cité

Entangled, Superimposed, Threatened: Science Communication in the Age of Uncertainty

Miriam Meckel | University of St.Gallen

Networking and break

Connecting Science – Multimedia and Multilingual Approaches

Science in Dialogue: Agora Networking Experience

Swiss National Science Foundation

Creative Communication – Messages that Move

Beyond the Echo Chamber. Strategies for Inclusive Health Dialogue

Sara Rubinelli | Universität Luzern, Nicola Diviani | Swiss Paraplegic Research, Maddalena Fiordelli | Institute of Public Health, Università della Svizzera italiana

Utop’IA, une bande dessinée sur les enjeux écologiques de l’IA

Julie Clerget, Frédérique Chessel Lazzarotto | EPFL-Centre LEARN

Lunch

Failure Welcome! Learning from Mistakes

Science is Culture – Understanding, Experiencing, Storytelling

Open Science – Creating together

Alternative Media, Alternative Publics? A Deliberation Lab

Maud Reveilhac | LUT University, Finland

Savoir public – Wissenschaft für alle, direkt und persönlich

Marco Vencato | Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Corinna Virchow, Mario Kaiser | Verein savoir public, Pascal Walther | Schweizerischer Nationalfonds, Sereina Tanner | Blick/Ringier

Pause

Award ceremony - Prix Optimus

Swiss National Science Foundation

Science communication with impact in turbulent times. A comparison: Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Wissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee

Science Slam: Wissenschaft trifft Comedy

Michael Morari

Apéro

Organizer

Responsible Organisations