In this webinar held on 13th November 2024, we explored how the European policymaking process works, how it is informed by scientific evidence and how institutions, researchers and professional staff (including from Associated Countries, like the UK) engage with the SAM.
The webinar was hosted by the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) in partnership with the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network and in collaboration with Academia Europaea Cardiff and follows a series on the theme of international policy engagement, organised by UPEN’s International Sub-Committee.
The webinar was chaired by Professor Ole Petersen, Director of the Academia Europaea Cardiff Hub.
Key messages
The webinar opened with general remarks from Professor Petersen, addressing the question of how scientific evidence is provided by academies in response to questions from the European Commission. He noted the importance of using academies to provide evidence that is usable and of high standard.
William Pryor, UPEN’s Head of Policy Engagement, spoke briefly on the establishment of UPEN, pointing to its position as the only United Kingdom university network of its kind, with a membership of over 110 institutions across the UK. He highlighted UPEN’s role in providing a platform to connect research professionals in UK universities with users of research across local and regional organisations.
The first speaker, Dr Karen Fabbri of RTD in the European Commission, provided an overview of SAM and the EU policymaking process, highlighting SAM’s role in supporting thematic policies of the European Union.
The next speaker, Toby Wardman, Head of SAPEA Communications, addressed the evidence-gathering process of SAM, specifically highlighting the role of academies in generating evidence review reports that contribute to the formulation of the advisor’s policy recommendations. He underscored the significance of ensuring diversity and inclusiveness within working groups, reflecting a commitment to justice and fairness in the process of producing high-quality evidence from experts with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
Louise Edwards, Manager of AE Cardiff, presented examples of the SAM in practice. She referenced several examples of topics coordinated by AE Cardiff, underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of the working group and outreach initiatives that encouraged policy and public engagement with the topic. She described the measurement of impact, including academic and policy impact.
We were delighted to be joined by Professor Richard Thompson, who served on two SAPEA working groups and highlighted the benefits of his involvement in the SAM. Professor Pearl Dykstra, a former member of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, spoke of her experiences as an Advisor, particularly as a social scientist.
Discussion and Q&A
Presentations were followed by a Q&A session, where the audience put forward questions. These included questions relating to diversity in working groups, contributions to the scoping process and the uptake of recommendations across multiple departments.
Watch the webinar
View the slides
View the slides here.
Updated 14th October 2024. For further information please contact AECardiffHub@cardiff.ac.uk
