Science vs Activism? Exploring the Boundary

Background

At the Swiss Young Academy (SYA), scholars across different disciplines work together on a variety of social, cultural, political and ecological issues. A returning contestation is the dichotomy between science and activism, the boundary between them, and the role and duties of scientists and science. What is science and what is activism? Where does one end and the other begin? Why is it necessary that we keep these two worlds apart and is that even possible? When it comes to taking a stance in this debate, do early career researchers face the same challenges as more established scholars? The different conceptions of knowledge and knowledge production and what this entails are rooted in the members’ different epistemological commitments.

Objectives

The project set out to explore the often-contested boundary between science and activism, a dualism that has been largely underexplored from a transdisciplinary perspective in the Swiss context. Our aim was to examine this relationship both theoretically and empirically by drawing on the diverse disciplinary backgrounds of members of the Swiss Young Academy (SYA).

In doing so, we sought to:

• Investigate how different academic fields uphold or challenge the science/activism divide

• Reflect critically on our own roles and practices as scholars and SYA representatives

• Create space for dialogue about conflicting understandings of what science is and what it should do

• Address the challenges that arise in transdisciplinary collaborations when the science/activism boundary remains unexamined, including tensions around objectivity, engagement, and legitimacy in public discourse

By engaging with these questions, the project contributed to a deeper understanding of the responsibilities and positionalities of researchers operating at the intersection of science and society.

Activities

Internal Workshops

Five internal one-day workshops with members of the SYA focusing on theoretical concepts, the interview study, and interdisciplinary dialogue.
Guest speakers included:

• Dunia Brunner (University of Lausanne): “The public engagement of academics: From academic freedom to professional ethics”

• Tanja Rechnitzer (Leibniz University Hannover): “Scholars or Activists – Roles and Responsibilities of Philosophers”

• Lerato Posholi (SYA): “Epistemic Injustice”

Public Events & Panel Discussions

The project contributed to public discourse through several high-profile events across Switzerland. These included panel discussions at Scientifica, ScienceComm, and the Sustainability Science Forum, as well as public Science Cafés. Topics ranged from the neutrality of science and the role of scientists in activism to the political responsibility of academia. SYA members moderated and participated alongside scholars, university leaders, and civil society representatives, fostering dialogue between science and the public.

Conference Presentations

Kessler, S. H., Rabinovich, M., Boulila, S., Behluli, S., Schlegel, S., & Zemp, C. (2024). Exploring the Boundaries between Science and Activism: Perspectives of Young Scientists in Switzerland. Presentation at the annual conference of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research (SACM) in Neuchâtel (Switzerland), 17.-19. April.

Kessler, S. H. (2024). Examining the nexus of science, science communication, and activism: Young scientists' perspectives in Switzerland. Paper accepted at the European communication conference of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) in Ljubljana (Slowenien), 24.-27. September.

Publication "Perspectives of Young Researchers in Switzerland" - Interview results

Kessler, S. H., Rabinovich, M., & Boulila, S. (2024). Science vs. Activism? Exploring the Boundary: Perspectives of Young Researchers in Switzerland.