Everything you don´t learn in the lab
Careers with impact
Topic area
Career development
Format
Online or in-house talk
Speaker
Philipp Gramlich
Target group
PhD students and postdocs
In brief
Can you build a successful scientific career while making a difference in society? Explore how professional ambitions and societal engagement can reinforce each other.
Combining professional success and societal engagement
You became a scientist because you were curious about the world. But perhaps you also wanted to make it a better place. What happens when your research touches on urgent societal questions, yet speaking up feels risky? Should scientists stick to the facts, or can they also advocate for change? And how can you find the time for societal engagement while building a demanding career?
Professional success and societal impact are often presented as competing priorities. But they don’t necessarily have to be. Engaging with society can help you develop new skills, build networks beyond academia and discover unexpected career opportunities. At the same time, public engagement raises difficult questions about scientific credibility, professional expectations and personal boundaries.
In this talk, we’ll explore different ways scientists can contribute to society, from science communication and policy advice to working with NGOs or starting their own initiatives. Drawing on real-world examples, we’ll discuss how to find an approach that fits your values, career stage and appetite for public engagement.
Curious to learn more before enjoying our talk?
Want to explore the practical side? Our workshop Societal impact for scientists: Make a difference adds the (science) communication dimension to the content of this talk: How can we make ourselves heard without overstepping our role as scientists?
In Careers with Impact: A Practical Guide to Purpose-Driven Work, Philipp draws on interviews with 17 professionals to explore how people combine their careers with the desire to make a difference.
Our article No scientists please explores why scientists sometimes struggle to make their voices heard in public discussions.