Science must be out in the open! Media courses for researchers 2023

How do I communicate my research topic to a broader audience? How can I present complex findings in an understandable way and still be precise?

“Such training should be a standard part of academic education, because that’s the only way we can better bridge the gap between academia and society in the future,“ says Anna Elsner, assistant professor of French literature and culture at the University of St. Gallen. She received the Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize in 2022.

Whether it’s the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, the energy transition or international conflicts: researchers are increasingly required to communicate beyond the boundaries of their discipline. That can be challenging. But explaining scientific findings and debates in simple words is learnable.

The SNSF offers media training in English. The course is aimed at researchers in Switzerland who would like to improve their media and communication skills. In the one-day training in a small group, you will learn how to interact with media professionals and present your core message in front of the camera and microphone in an understandable and convincing way. The training focuses on television interviews. However, interviews with radio stations and print media as well as oral presentations (talks, web conferences, etc.) are also looked at. While the language of tuition is English, the thematic focus is on allowing researchers from abroad to practise interviews in a Swiss national language.

In addition, a number of writing, social media and social video workshops are offered in German and French. You can find the full course programme on our website.

The SNSF supports media courses for researchers in partnership with Stiftung Mercator Schweiz.

You can register now for courses in 2023.