Podcast produced by GUNi in collaboration with Kelly Davis: https://kellymaedavis.com/

Este nuevo podcast cuenta con dos realidades geográficamente distintas, pero con retos y aproximaciones a la CC comunes. Mariana Varese habla de Ciencia Ciudadana desde el monitoreo de la biodiversidad acuática en la cuenca amazónica (Perú, Brasil, Bolivia), mientras que Diana Escobar presenta el trabajo de la Oficina de Ciencia Ciudadana del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona (España). Ambos casos muestran una Ciencia Ciudadana “glocal”, es decir, proyectos que miran la realidad local con una conexión global. 

Varese y Escobar destacan de la Ciencia Ciudadana su capacidad de concienciación, de involucrar a las personas y activar la proactividad frente a problemáticas comunitarias. Para ello, es imprescindible contar con la participación de la ciudadanía desde el diseño del proyecto y poner en valor sus saberes. Con la aportación de la ciencia acreditada obtienen las herramientas, métodos y estándares técnicos para gozar de reconocimiento, legitimación y capacidad de negociación.

La CC aspira a la articulación de la ciudadanía, la ciencia acreditada y las administraciones para la formulación de políticas, no obstante, esta es aún una asignatura pendiente. Para ello sería necesario crear agendas compartidas y desarrollar proyectos con todos los agentes desde la base.

Con todo, tanto desde la cuenca amazónica como desde Barcelona, se vive con optimismo el creciente interés por la ciencia ciudadana, se celebran las dificultades superadas y se sigue trabajando para su mayor expansión.

[This new episode has been produced in Spanish with the aim of introducing other languages in the GUNi Report]

Focussing on the international scene, Clàudia Fabó Cartas and Prof. Muki Haklay conversate in this new podcast episode on the level of recognition and relevance of citizen science, its growth, the institutions promoting it, the challenges to be faced, and its expected futures.

Looking at the European Union sphere, both Fabó and Haklay point out the rapid boost of Citizen Science due to its recognition by national and international funding bodies, in academic publications and so on. This goes along with a positive attitude towards science among citizens and a growing interest among the scientific communities and the general public of involving non-scientist in research and innovation. And despite it all, Citizen Science is still largely unknown for many science communicators, researchers, and scientists.

Celebrating this interest in citizen participation in science, both interviewees lead the conversation towards the need of training and consciousness on how to do Citizen Science to ensure interoperability, quality of data, mutual trust, commitment and ethical practices. Many challenges arise due to its novelty regarding how science has been conducted traditionally. Likewise, there are many reasons for fostering Citizen Science.

As Fabó outlines, democratic societies very much rely on science and research, scientific data, and evidence to inform the decisions that affect governmental policies and, at the end of the day, the lives of all of us. Therefore, Citizen Science promotes democracy when citizens participate in the process of scientific research and science projects respond to the societal needs and priorities. In this sense, the interviewees point out the advocacy role of the European Union institutions with the embeddedness of public engagement in science in EU programs, sending a signal that influences member states, higher education institutions, and the wide variety of stakeholders forming the research and innovation systems.

Through this compilation of publications, GUNi presents paths for immediate action when it comes to SD. In this case, we present a podcast with the expertise and voices of Professor Daniella Tilbury, an academic leader and change maker credited with having developed the initial frameworks for higher education in the field of SD, and Didac Ferrer, Head of the Innovation and Community Office of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).

Prof. Tilbury defends the importance of drawing from the positive and alternative futures, and leaving fear behind, to achieve a real transformation. She calls HEIs to become innovation hubs for new sustainable ways of living: HEIs must be more experimental and be ready to break the moulds through “decisive, brave leadership” from the top management.

In this podcast, Ferrer and Tilbury explore some best practices and future scenarios that we hope will enlighten and influence HEIs to make a real impact by committing with concepts such as transformation, inclusiveness and, overall, with Sustainable Development.