A central scientific institution of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will change its name and sharpen its profile on October 1, 2024: The previous ZAK | Center for Applied Cultural Studies and Studium Generale is now called “Studium Generale. Forum Science and Society (FORUM)”. With the renaming, the institution is positioning itself as a central platform for interdisciplinary teaching as well as the exchange and scientific analysis of social problems and is strengthening its role as a mediator between science and society.
In times of global crises and upheavals, expectations and skepticism towards scientific findings are increasing. An understanding of what scientific expertise can and cannot achieve is a key factor in the success of democratic opinion-forming processes. The programmatic development of the ZAK over several years and the recent renaming to FORUM take this finding into account.
“Our aim is to continuously discuss the tension between science and society using concrete science and technology debates as an example, together with students, researchers, actors from journalism, politics and business, as well as the interested public, and thus to create competencies on all sides in dealing with scientific knowledge in social debates,” says Senja Post, scientific director of the FORUM and professor for science communication at the KIT Institute for Technology Futures, describing the guiding principle.
Science as a social stimulus
Through interdisciplinary teaching, public events and innovative social research, the FORUM aims to stimulate dialogue between science and society and to discuss pressing issues in a differentiated and fact-based manner. “In social debates,” says Post, “the statements of scientists are often not evaluated according to purely scientific criteria, but rather, for example, according to their political or social implications. Here we want to contribute to a more objective approach to polarized discussions.”
New accompanying study program “Science, Technology and Society”
A central course at FORUM is the new accompanying course “Science, Technology and Society”. Here, students and doctoral candidates are prepared in an interdisciplinary manner for the challenges at the interface between science and society. Philosophical, psychological, social and cultural science perspectives are intended to enable them to make considered decisions in research, development and management.
The new accompanying course starts in the winter semester of 2024/25. It complements the respective specialist course and extends over several semesters with a variable duration. A lecture series and a basic seminar introduce the topic of “Interactions between science, technology and society”. In-depth seminars are then available to choose from. The course is aimed at KIT students as well as students at the Karlsruhe University of Music, the Karlsruhe University of Education and the Karlsruhe University of Art and Design. Registration is possible at any time and advice is offered. The FORUM courses can be recognized as key qualifications in specialist studies.
Public events and dialogue formats
Research at FORUM also focuses on the relationship between science and the public. Current projects are investigating, among other things, how attitudes of the population in Germany are developing towards the energy transition or how moralization in public communication influences debates on topics such as climate change, energy security or food security.
The FORUM continues the ZAK tradition of promoting dialogue between science and the public on socially relevant topics. Lectures and discussions at KIT invite people to think together about the relationship between science and society and to develop solutions for pressing future issues.
Further information:
For renaming
On the accompanying course “Science, Technology and Society”
As “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for society and the environment. The aim is to make significant contributions to global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. To this end, around 10,000 employees work together on a broad disciplinary basis in natural sciences, engineering, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, business, and science through research-oriented university studies. KIT’s innovation activities bridge the gap between knowledge and application for social benefit, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural resources. KIT is one of Germany’s universities of excellence.
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