The programme committee has planned both keynote speakers and a PAERI panel including prominent experts in the field.
Keynote speakers
Tony Lockett (to be confirmed) is Head of Communication at the European Research Council Executive Agency. Before joining the ERC, he held communication and policy roles in several of the European Commission’s Directorates General. Tony studied Politics and International Relations in Sussex, Toulouse and Brussels. He is a former European Union Fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle, a member of the Advisory Board of the European Public Communication Conference, and a member of the European Association of Communication Directors.
Conference panel speakers
The conference panel will explore science communication from three complementary angles: its practitioners, the role of writing, and the evolving relationship with public research institutions. Through presentations and a moderated discussion, panelists will reflect on what defines “quality” in today’s communication landscape, before opening the conversation to the audience. Be ready to be challenged, inspired, and engaged in rethinking how science is communicated today.
Cissi Askwall coordinates a national platform at the Swedish Research Council to increase public access to research and its results. With a background in journalism and senior roles at Swedish Radio, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, and the non-profit VA (Public & Science Sweden), she also served as President of the European Science Engagement Association, and is currently vice Chair of Örebro University.
Liliann Fischer leads the Insights Programme at Wissenschaft im Dialog in Germany, where she works to bridge science communication research and practice. She also holds a PhD in science communication research. Her research in the past has focused on the professional identities of science communicators and she is dedicated to promoting quality and reflection in professional science communication.
Michele Catanzaro is a journalist and lecturer in science journalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, with a background in physics and two decades of experience writing for outlets such as Nature, Science, and El Periódico. His award-winning work spans books, documentaries, and the PerCientEx project on excellence in science journalism. In 2023, he was Nature-Marsilius Invited Professor at the University of Heidelberg.
