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Swiss Young Academy SYA
Call for Speakers: Teaching Tools for Bridging Science and Societal Partners
The Swiss Young Academy (SYA), in collaboration with td-net calls for contributions from lecturers and educators to a workshop on tools for science-society teaching that will take place in Bern on 23 June 2026.
As part of the SYA project “Innovative Teaching Formats at the Science-Society Interface”, we are looking for short contributions (pitches or marketplace presentations) showcasing a concrete teaching tool that engages students with societal partners in innovative ways. Tools may take different forms, such as a specific activity (e.g. art-based reflection, role-play simulations), a stakeholder engagement method (e.g. field immersion, expert–student roundtables), or an assessment format (e.g. poster, podcast), and may combine several of these elements. We consider tools used at Swiss universities or universities of applied sciences and from a variety of course formats that seek to bridge the boundary between science and societal partners (e.g. project-based learning, simulations, service learning, creative or media-based approaches).
Selected speakers will present their tool in a short, structured format and take part in interactive discussions to further develop these tools. This will help prepare them for potential submission to an upcoming new module on teaching tools in the framework of the td-net toolbox, a digital toolbox developed by td-net. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange with peers, gain visibility for their work, and receive input to further develop their teaching tools.
For more background, see the SYA project report “Innovative Teaching Formats at the Science-Society Interface: Reflections and Future Directions in Swiss Higher Education”.