Public engagement

To allow society to reap all potential benefits of research, we should not just make results available. We should also engage with potential users, funders and contributors to research, and with people whose lives may be affected by it.
This calls for activities to raise interest in research, to include citizens and communities in setting research priorities, to engage them with the research process, to translate outcomes for a non-scholarly public and to participate in public debate. This implies we seriously listen to what people outside our own community and outside academia have to say.

Public engagement helps researchers to more closely relate to societal issues and to questions people have. It helps researchers to profit from input and ideas from outside academia. And it helps enhance support for and trust in scholarly research.
Centre for Science and Culture
At Utrecht University, the Centre for Science and Culture plays an important role in realising engagement between researchers and citizens. In 2017, a Public Engagement Programme started, to improve support for and visibility of public engagement.
The Centre for Science and Culture focuses on citizens, individuals in a non-professional, non-expert role. The Open Science Programme complements that with a focus on societal partners. This focus includes thinking about and working on applicability of research outcomes, often together with external partners, including commercial ones.
Experts Public engagement
Open Science Fellows Public Engagement
- Dr. Joyce Browne (UMC Utrecht)
- Dr. L.M. (Michiel) Doorman (Faculty of Science)
- Stephan van Duin (UMC Utrecht)
- Carien Duisterwinkel (Faculty of Medicine)
- Dr. Sabine Fuchs (UMC Utrecht)
- Dr. Dan Hassler-Forest (Faculty of Humanities)
- Dr. Lauren Gould (Faculty of Humanities)
- Willem Janssen (Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance)
- Dr. Anouk Keizer (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Dr. Marc van Mil (UMC Utrecht)
- Dr. Margot Peeters (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Prof. Dr. Erik van Sebille (Faculty of Science)
- R. (Ragna) Senf MSc (Universitaire Bestuursdienst)
- Dr. Saskia Stevens (Faculty of Humanities)
- Dr. Madelijn Strick (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Marij Swinkels MA (Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance)
- Dr. Marian Thunnissen (Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance)
- Dr. ir. Niko Wanders (Faculty of Geosciences)
- Dr. Mara Yerkes (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Andreja Zulim De Zwart (UMC Utrecht)
- Niels Eijkelkamp (UMC Utrecht)
- Sanne Akkerboom (Faculty of Geosciences)
- Dr. Nieske Vergunst (Faculty of Science)
- Frances Wijnen (Faculty of Science)
- Constanza AnDaur Navarro (UMC Utrecht)
- Rosan Reusken MA (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)
- Peter Kuipers Munneke (Faculty of Science)
- Marije Witsenboer (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Dr. Steven Raaijmakers (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Thomas Martens (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Dr. Ward van der Stam (Faculty of Science)
- Dr. Jelle Vlaanderen (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)
- Simone Pekelsma (Faculty of Science)
- Dr. Mirko Schaefer (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Dr. Jorg Huijding (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
- Frances Wijnen (Faculty of Science)
- Megan Milota (UMC Utrecht)
- Dr. Charisma Hehakaya (UMC Utrecht)
- Yavanne van Tiggelen (Faculty of Science)
- Drs. Maarten Post (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine)