As part of this year's STS Conference at TU Graz, which deals with critical issues in science, the Institute POLICIES , together with the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), organised a session on the relationship between politics and science.
The scientific contributions addressed this question using topics such as Covid, glyphosate, climate change and nanotechnology. In a panel discussion moderated by Wolfgang Polt, dircetor of the POLICIES Institute and Helmut Hönigmayer from IHS , Daniela Fuchs (ZSI – Center for Social Innovation), Jürgen Janger (WIFO) Judith Kohlenberger (WU Vienna) and Matthias Weber (AIT) debated, among other things, about current areas of friction between science and politics, about relevant initiatives to improve the willingness to engage in dialogue and about the requirements for evidence-based politics in Austria.
Politics is called upon
"The participants agreed that the reorganisation of this relationship must not only be pursued by the scientific community - for example in the form of standards and guidelines for scientific integrity - but must also be seriously tackled by politicians," said Polt. On the part of the scientific community, the topic has already been reflected in various statements: For example, in the report written by AIT, IHS, WIFO, JR POLICIES and WIIW (Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies) Memorandum on contract research in political consulting or in the "Vienna Memorandum" of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW).
More information
> Graz University of Technology
> Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT)
> Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS)
> Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO)
> Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)
> Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU)
> Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
