education
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Dr Gabi Lombardo on the importance of social sciences and humanities
“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 is an expert in both higher education and global ...
STOA’s annual lecture: Academic Freedom in the US
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 frozen grants to political pressure on university governance, academic ...
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 ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund on space sustainability
Pascale Ehrenfreund is the President of the Committee of Space Research (COSPAR) and Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs in Washington DC. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Space Foundation and as Member of the Global Future Council on Space of the World Economic Forum. For three decades she contributed ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Prof. Dr. Nicole Grobert on ‘One Health’
After the Commission had tasked its Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (GCSA) with providing advice on One Health Governance in the EU, a report and a scientific opinion was published end of 2024. It assessed how the EU can align its policies with the One Health approach, improving coordination between different sectors like food production, ...
‘One Health’ and the role of science for better policy
As Europe faces overlapping challenges - from public health threats to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation - the need for integrated, evidence-based policymaking has never been clearer. The ‘One Health’ concept, which recognises the interconnection between human, animal and environmental health is now increasingly influencing the way policy is shaped. ‘One Health’ is gaining significant ...
A scientist’s opinion: interview with Prof. Dr. Jakob Zinsstag-Klopfenstein on ‘One Health’
Epidemiology Professor Jakob Zinsstag (University of Basel, Switzerland) leads a research group focused on the interface of human and animal health, particularly zoonoses and the health of nomadic populations, under the ‘One Health’ approach. He also is a member of the One Health High Level Expert Panel of the Quadripartite Organizations: the World Health Organization ...
Mirko Bischofberger: ‘AI offers a promise of a better way of communicating’
Dr. Mirko Bischofberger is an expert in science communication. He is a lecturer at the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Zurich and Lausanne (ETH and EPFL), as well as the universities of Zürich and Basel. Mirko studied molecular biology, specialised in computational biology and worked for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a renowned Swiss newspaper. He ...