“Open science represents modern knowledge creation, but also supports evidence-based decision-making,” explains Prof. Dr. Julia Priess-Buchheit, professor at Kiel University with expertise in higher education, research integrity and open science. Open science also affects scientific exchange, that is,...

Margreet de Looze is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science at Utrecht University. Her research examines how social and cultural contexts shape young people’s health and well-being, with a particular focus on adolescent substance use, mental health, and sexual health. Over the past...

As the European Union (EU) prepares the groundwork for the next Horizon Europe Framework Programme, many experts have been calling for the human and social dimension of progress to be better integrated into the EU’s research and innovation agenda. The STOA workshop ‘Humanities and social sciences at...

“Social sciences and humanities unveil weaknesses of our societies and allow us to address them”   Dr Gabi Lombardo is the Director of the European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH), an advocacy and science policy organisation for social sciences and humanities (SSH) in Europe. She...

In the past year, tensions between the US administration and many major American universities – apparently revolving around « Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) » policies and the handling of student and faculty protests - have reached a critical point. From legislative restrictions on teaching and...

Dr Vanessa Harris is an infectious diseases physician and Assistant Professor at the Department of Global Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA). Her research focuses on diarrheal diseases in children under the age of five, investigating environmental impacts on disease risk, prevention...

Water is essential for life, food production, energy supply, and economic activity. Yet Europe increasingly faces a water crisis, with droughts and floods compromising both water quality and quantity across the continent.   Climate change is already affecting water availability, and the situation is...

From climate change to public health crises, the challenges facing Europe today demand decisions grounded in solid scientific evidence. Yet bridging the gap between research and policy-making remains a persistent challenge.   For nearly a decade, the European Parliament's Panel for the Future of Science...