Carolien Nijenhuis is working as an enthusiastic member of the European Science-Media Hub within the European Parliament. With a background in language, philosophy and journalism, she has a passion for clear writing and science. She has been working since 2001 in Belgium as editor for several newspapers and magazines, as medical journalist and as communication expert at the EU institutions.
She is part of the ESMH team.
Contributor: Carolien Nijenhuis
Interview with Prof. Svend-Erik Skaaning on democracy and academic freedom
Political science professor Svend-Erik Skaaning (Aarhus University, Denmark) will be the academic keynote speaker at the high-level conference “Academic Freedom in Support of Democracy” organised by the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) in the European House of History in Brussels on Wednesday 4 March 2026. What trends do you ...
Interview with Prof. David Rabban on the challenges for academic freedom in the United States
In the past year, tensions between the US administration and many of the major US universities have intensified, increasingly putting pressure on their academic freedom. Law professor David Rabban (University of Texas) thinks “it is important to push back against government intrusions into the intellectual life of universities. Some universities have resisted, sometimes bringing successful ...
Transparent and accessible global data critical for European researchers: Interview with Professor Thomas Hartung
The landscape of scientific research is shaped by global digital infrastructures, with critical databases in health, medicine, climate, and the social sciences. The dominance of foreign and commercial databases poses strategic vulnerabilities for academic freedom, innovation, and research continuity in Europe. What are the risks associated with this concentrated 'power' of some databases? And how ...
How to address water scarcity in the EU? Interview with STOA study author Maria Kottari
The EU is facing major challenges with increasing water scarcity. That said, there is also some good news: water consumption by households has been decreasing over the last years. This is what green transition and innovation expert Dr. Maria Kottari has found. She authored a new study commissioned by the European Parliament’s Panel on the ...
Prof. Anne Husebekk: ‘There is increased pressure on academic freedom’
Interview on academic freedom with Prof. Anne Husebekk, former vice-president for Freedom and Responsibility in Science at the International Science Council. In the run-up to the high-level conference “Perspectives on academic freedom in Europe and beyond”, organised by the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) on 5 February 2025, we ...
Interview with Prof. Ferenc Hammer on academic freedom and supporting silenced scholars
Associate Professor Ferenc Hammer (Media and Communications Department at ELTE University in Budapest, Hungary) is concerned about silenced and repressed scholars in dozens of countries: “At-risk scholars try to live under the radar, but that’s how they become invisible. This doesn’t equate to academic freedom.” He launched an organisation to help them. Your research work ...
Digital technologies and democracy: challenges ahead
Interview with Professor Barbara Prainsack We cannot imagine a world without digital innovation and technology anymore. But what is its impact on our democracy, the corner stone of our civilisation? What challenges are we facing? The independent advisory body European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) recently published an Opinion on this ...
Luc Piguet: ‘Today, we have over 2,000 failed satellites in orbit’
Interview with ClearSpace's CEO Luc Piguet on solutions for a sustainable circular space economy This Thursday 26 October, the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) will host a workshop on the Future of space - the sustainable path. We spoke with one of the speakers, the CEO of ClearSpace Luc ...