Transformational Leadership by Curating Change across Sustainable Science Communication.

Call to participate at the ACTS Pathways Academy Summer School 2024 (August 25^th to 1^st September 2024)

Background

Science communication is defined as the use of appropriate skills, media, activities and dialogue to produce one or more of the following responses to science (the AEIOU vowel analogy): awareness, enjoyment, interest, opinion forming and understanding (Burns, Connor & Stocklmayer, Public Understanding of Science, 2003). It  is not simply encouraging scientists to talk more about their work, nor is it an offshoot of the discipline of communication. It conveys scientific information to diverse audiences accurately and engagingly. This helps bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public by helping them understand complex scientific concepts, discoveries, and societal implications. Science communication is not a synonym for public awareness of science or scientific literacy and cannot be used interchangeably with these important terms. As defined above, it is particularly applicable to science outreach, providing a simple conceptual basis for evaluating science communication's effectiveness. The AEIOU analogy indicates effective communication of science. It may involve science practitioners, mediators, and other members of the public, either peer-to-peer or between groups (Burns et al., 2003). The analogy encompasses the well-established complementarity of art and science (Leach & Rayner, 2020). Therefore, communicating science should include arts-based adjuncts to the more conventional modes, i.e., oral presentations.

From a decolonial perspective, transformational leadership through sustainable science communication offers a profound pathway for curating change by challenging and reimagining dominant narratives and power dynamics inherent in global sustainability efforts. From this point of view, it not only focuses on inspiring change but also recognises and dismantles the colonial legacies in scientific practices and knowledge dissemination (Whyte, 2018; Ahenakew, 2016). In this context, sustainable science communication from the lens of transdisciplinarity involves community science, a critical engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems, and a commitment to equity and justice in environmental discourse and action (Whyte, 2018; Tuck & Yang, 2012). Leaders who identify with this approach actively work towards creating spaces where diverse voices and epistemologies are valued and integrated into the co-creation of solutions to environmental challenges. This requires a shift from unidirectional knowledge transfer to a dialogical model where scientific communication is seen as an exchange that respects and learns from the interconnectedness of all life as understood by different indigenous cultures and diverse subjects (Kimmerer, 2013).

About the summer school

Building from our previous summer school on decoloniality of knowledge and learning systems, the summer school is designed to emphasise the critical role of effective science communication in cultivating transformational leaders by equipping participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to convey complex scientific concepts in an accessible and engaging manner, including the minority but most impacted groups. It will additionally use the concept of transdisciplinary communication concepts with a similar blend of the technical and non-technical practitioners, including local community members, where decolonial and indigenous knowledge coproduction are encouraged. By using a curated curriculum that blends theoretical insights and practical workshops, participants will learn how to craft compelling narratives around scientific data, use digital platforms for wider outreach, and engage with diverse audiences through storytelling techniques that resonate across cultural and societal boundaries. This approach aims to enhance the communicative competencies of emerging leaders in the scientific community and inspire them to adopt transformational leadership practices. By promoting a deep understanding of the power of persuasive communication in driving change, the summer school seeks to empower participants to become catalysts for sustainable development, social innovation, and environmental stewardship, contributing to a global dialogue on pressing issues with clarity, conviction, and impact. More specifically, from an experiential perspective, most master's and PhD manuscripts, including papers and theses, always end up on the library shelves and scientific journals. However, our key question is, what happens to the impacted group that cannot access these? This is one of the questions we seek to answer in the summer school while opening up to other methods and pathways that are inclusive to individuals of different geographical settings, educational backgrounds and levels, genders, and age groups.

Target participants

The summer school invites all groups interested in decolonial approaches for science communication in both the global south and global north. Specifically, it targets Postdocs and PhD students enrolled in universities and graduates. In addition, master’s students, early career researchers, and experienced policy makers and practitioners in sustainable sciences and communication space are also invited.

Methods of delivery

The school will bring together acclaimed scholars of all geographic regions, with representation from academic and research organizations, researchers, policy makers, governments, international organizations, think tanks, NGOs, civil society, indigenous communities, and others, aiming to offer each participant the opportunity to follow:

• Roundtable discussions and lectures
• Joint lectures every morning delivered by different international scholars
• Case study course sessions delivered by different international scholars
• Workshop and/or walk shop groups in the afternoon to discuss the research projects contributing to transformational leadership through different modes of communicating the science of each participant addressed to small groups of 10 to 15 participants.

Applications

Application is currently open to self-sponsored applicants. If interested kindly fill this form via this link: https://forms.office.com/r/jefWwZTnHf

Application fees

Virtual participation	For Kenyan Nationals	Africans	Non-Africans
USD 100	USD 350	USD 450	USD 550

Application details

Application form details:

• Name
• Address (email, location, affiliation, physical address)
• Qualifications (brief on relevant qualification)
• Relevant experience (long question 500 words max)
• Motivation (brief on suitability)
• Funding (self-sponsor, scholarship, organization sponsor)

Deadline: 15^th July 2024

Confirmation of admission to the summer school:  30 July 2024

School dates: 25^th August - 1^st September 2024

Suggested Sub-Topics to include in the schedule

Sub-Topics

• Decolonial Perspectives in Science Communication
• Community-Centered Science Communication: Empowering Local Voices for Change
• Integrating Gender and Diversity in Science Communication
• Science Communication Techniques: From Data to Narrative
• Decolonising research ethics (Publications, and practice)

Contacts

For further inquiry, reach out to Monroe Ouma via email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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References

1. Ahenakew, C. (2016). Grafting Indigenous Ways of Knowing onto Non-Indigenous Ways of Being: The (Underestimated) Challenges of a Decolonial Imagination. International Review of Qualitative Research, 9(3), 323-340.
2. Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2012). Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 1(1), 1-40.
3. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
4. Whyte, K. P. (2018). Indigenous science (fiction) for the Anthropocene: Ancestral dystopias and fantasies of climate change crises. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 1(1-2), 224-242.
5. Kimmerer, R.W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.
6. Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
7. Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
8. Hansen, J. (2011). Communicating science in a climate of uncertainty. Science Communication, 33(4), 459-478.G. Crawford, Z. Mai-Bornu, and K. Landstr�m, “Decolonising knowledge production on Africa: why it�s still necessary and what can be done,” Br. Acad., vol. 9s1, pp. 21–46, 2021, doi: 10.5871/JBA/009S1.021.