The collaboration between the WissKomm-Academy and Mainz University of Applied Sciences in the area of science communication starts with the program Wissenschaft kompakt kommunizieren (Communicating science concisely). It is offered by the WissKomm Academy for employees of Mainz University of Applied Sciences and led by communication trainer Gabriele Schweickhardt.
At the WissKomm Academy, founded in 2022, the focus is on science communication. In addition to theme-based events and an academy award honoring excellent science journalism, researchers in Rhineland-Palatinate are to be provided with tools and strategies for successful science communication through a skills training program.
As part of the collaboration between the WissKomm Academy and Mainz University of Applied Sciences, a seminar exclusively for university staff from Mainz University of Applied Sciences is now being offered in addition to the extensive training program already underway. The aim of the seminar is to build up communicative skills and reinforce them in such a way that scientific findings are clearly recognized in society’s perception by means of clear messages.
Researchers are supported in clearly communicating their often complex research topics and issues to a broader general public. Their rhetorical skills are strengthened and the ability to speak appropriately and eloquently in controversial discussions and personal attacks is fostered.
The seminar is led by Gabriele Schweickhardt, who is also responsible for the content of the WissKomm Academy training program. She is a communication trainer and has been working as a freelance mediator, coach, and moderator since 2010. As an expert in successful communication, she helps leaders in the fields of politics, media, education, and business to communicate confidently and effectively.
The WissKomm Academy is a pilot project of the Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz, funded by the Ministry of Science and Health of Rhineland-Palatinate, with the aim of establishing a center of excellence for science communication in Rhineland-Palatinate.
Science communication plays a central role for Mainz University of Applied Sciences, not only in the communication of research findings by its researchers, but also in the training of its staff and in the curriculum itself, as in the master's degree program in Communication Design. Science communication is a particular priority there. Given these circumstances, the areas in which the collaboration between the two institutions can still develop are manifold.
