‘Truth, Trust and Expertise’ briefing

Public trust in evidence-based social institutions is a central pillar of a democracy but in recent years a dismissal of journalism and scientific facts and a stronger scepticism in political institutions are apparently growing across Europe. This concerning trend has been frequently related to, inter alia, a changing digital communication landscape. The impact of digitalisation may require new responses and mechanisms to sustain common ground and common sense in our public discourse.

At the core of European academies’ priorities is the promotion of the values of science and research, as well as the benefits of including scientific reasoning in public discourse. To comprehend the challenges ahead in a wider context of major social, political and cultural transformations, ALLEA’s (European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities) work in this area seeks to provide a transnational platform for perspectives on the nature of and relationship between ‘Truth, Trust and Expertise’ in the field of science.

The Royal Irish Academy, as a Member of ALLEA, recently hosted a Breakfast Briefing on ALLEA’s recent work on ‘Truth, Trust and Expertise’ with the Academy’s ALLEA representatives Prof Maria Baghramian MRIA (University College Dublin) and Prof Luke Drury MRIA (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies) discussing their recent work and its relevance to Ireland. In attendance were academics and administrators from a variety of higher education institutions, journalists, policymakers and Government representatives, allowing for an engaging discussion about trust in evidence-based social institutions.

Download Professor Baghramian and Professor Drury’s presentations from the event. For all other queries email policy@ria.ie