INSE – What we stand for

We are INSE – “the Interdisciplinary network for science education Lower Austria – joint efforts to sustainably raise scientific literacy.” A mouthful I know, but each word forms an important part of the narrative for our mission. 

Multiple disciplinary approaches are key to establishing a well-rounded, solid foundation for learning. And science itself is multidimensional and we want to live up to that. Being interdisciplinary means we are creating results from integrating different research disciplines. Scientific disciplines include mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicine and pharmaceuticals, philosophy and history, social sciences, psychology, political sciences, ecology and climate research, geography and technology. Our network is built up from actors amongst these various disciplines as well as others in the public, in administration and in education. We want to have open dialogues and work with others to develop tools which will offer innovative forms of science communication. 

Some of the issues within science is that science has its own language and this jargon can mean certain things feel off limits to the public, but scientific information does form important decisions in everybody’s life so it’s important for us to be comprehensible for all audiences. Nowadays most people get their information online so we have ensured that we are making use of these channels to communicate our ideas with people. Science education can take many forms, and we also believe in being hands-on in our approach, working with people and showing them how science works rather than just telling them. 

A large motivation for us to launch this project was the wide spread disbelief in science. We hope to strengthen the belief in the benefits of science by highlighting the contributions of science to existing and emerging societal and ecological challenges. Austria in particular is somewhere where skepticism in science is rife. We need to build up relationships between science and the public to create more trust. 

We want to create something sustainable – something that will last. The scientific environment is continuously changing – from still navigating the effects of the corona pandemic; to the growing use of Artificial Intelligence; to the raising problems associated with climate change; to trying to remove the gender and geographic bias of scientists. We want to ensure that the things currently lacking in science education will be established in the next generation and be carried forward. We want to inspire and release young people into the world of science and to encourage them to pursue different avenues that they may not have known were open to them. We want this to happen not just within Lower Austria but hopefully expand nationally and even internationally! If you are interested in collaborating with us, we would love to hear from you!