Perspectives: Prof. Michał Daszykowski

ESOF2024 will show how life changes science

December was the time when the programme of European City of Science Katowice 2024 (EMNK 2024) began. This special initiative means 50 weeks dedicated to interesting and important challenges of Polish and global science. The peak moment of the programme of EMNK 2024 will be the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF2024) - one of the most important conferences on the key achievements in various fields of science and art as well as their impact on the society. Prof. Michał Daszykowski, Vice-Rector for Science and Finance of the University of Silesia in Katowice and the Head of the Programme Committee of ESOF2024, tells us why it is worth taking part in the conference.

Małgorzata Kłoskowicz, PhD: Two years ago we found out that the 11th edition of the prestigious EuroScience Open Forum conference will take place in Katowice. Several months ago we saw what we could expect during this event, when we co-organised ESOF2022 Regional Site, which preceded the adoption of the European City of Science 2024 title by Katowice. Mr Rector, what emotions did you feel when you realised that scientists from all over the world would meet in the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship to talk about the impact of science on the society?

Prof. Michał Daszykowski: The news was a great surprise for me. I was not in the close circle of people who took efforts to organise the conference in Katowice, and I have to admit that I had not known the event before. Only then did I understand that it is a conference in the form of open forum which can be attended by anyone: a region’s inhabitant, a journalist, a politician, and obviously a scientist.

Recently, I have discovered two forms of meetings that were new to me. One of them was the National Congress of Science related to implementing the foundations of the new Act on Higher Education. It included panel sessions, with several people talking about a certain subject on stage. This form is completely unknown in the field of my scientific interest, i.e. chemistry.

The other surprise was the formula of ESOF conference. Its leading theme is science, but it is understood as an activity which strongly correlates with the external environment. The main assumption of the forum is the conviction that what scientists do has a real impact on the world that surrounds us. Since the speeches are addressed to a wide audience, we need to talk about the results of our research using a slightly different language. Therefore, it is not a professional language, characteristic for a specific field and understood only by a narrow group of specialists, but a language closer to what we use in science communication.

M.K.: Many scientists practise this kind of language during the Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE, which has been organised for seven years in the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship.

M.D.: Scientists are aware that although science is their way of life, it doesn’t belong only to them. In Poland, science marketing, as we should refer to various kinds of science communication, has been gaining significance in recent years. My impression is that most people are now ready to take part in this type of events. However, we still hear about the fear of being judged by our fellow scientists. Didn’t my subject become too shallow? Was it convincing from the perspective of scientific arguments? These are some examples of questions that we get while preparing for this type of speeches, concerning our own research environment.

We also know that there are many forms of science communication. It is not only the above-mentioned ŚFN KATOWICE, but also numerous science centres located all over the world. They are very interesting areas where you can have a great time. The need of contact with science is very important. However, does the number of young people interested in studying exact sciences, natural sciences or technology increase thanks to such initiatives? According to our observations, it doesn’t. We put a lot of energy in showing people that science is attractive and indispensable, but this does not translate to the way of thinking about science or about who scientists are needed by. I really wouldn’t like us to transform into Cirque du Soleil and become a venue for entertainment that everyone will be willing to pay for, but without registering for classes in acrobatics.

M.K.: How is ESOF conference different from other forms of science communication?

M.D.: During Silesian Science Festival KATOWICE we present interesting elements of various scientific disciplines, not necessarily related to our current research. We can show children a caterpillar, teach them to make bird houses, and this is very well received. I myself take my child to the festival and we enjoy what ŚFN Katowice has to offer. It’s an interesting family event. Here, however, an important question arises. I’m sometimes under the impression that the universities are left on their own. What are our chances to influence the students’ perception and make them interested in conducting scientific research? They were already shaped at earlier stages of education. The studies, during which critical thinking skills and innovativeness should be celebrated, are narrowed down to imitative actions and test-solving. There has been a number of education reforms, but there is still a lot to be done.

Here we come back to the question what makes ESOF conference different from other forms of science communication. During this forum, scientists from all over the world present the results of their research, and their speeches are based on state-of-the-art knowledge. If we talk about climate change, we don’t discuss whether it exists, but we rely on measurable proofs and analyse them.

M.K.: The leading themes of ESOF conference are inspired by the contemporary global challenges: social issues, digitisation, environment, energy transition, health and, finally, the slightly surprising subject of research excellence that we will definitely come back to later. Although ESOF has been the space for talking about the impact of science on society, the leading theme of the event that will take place in Katowice this year reverses this relation. The slogan is: Life changes science.

M.D.: The latest events, such as the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine, clearly showed us that life has a real influence on what happens in science and that science, regardless of the discipline, may provide us with breakthrough solutions. I would even go further: here, science is understood as a reasonable method for solving certain, sometimes very complex issues. Therefore, the slogan mostly comes from crisis situations that we need to react to here and now.

Such events as the war in Ukraine expose many weaknesses. When I think about it now, I find it hard to imagine that EU countries, despite their cooperation, are not independent or self-sufficient, at least to a basic extent. This concerns food, energy, transport, defence.

M.K.: Is it still possible nowadays, for example from the perspective of globalisation effects?

M.D.: We are surrounded by fashionable slogans, such as knowledge-based economy. What does it mean? Is our goal our own know-how, or rather purchasing this knowledge from others? In this way, scientists lose their jobs, and this is a global issue. Are we able to we use the scientific potential that we’ve been building for years? We can talk about commercialisation, but you do not produce something that cannot be sold later.

M.K.: Commenting on the main slogan of ESOF2024 conference, Prof. Ryszard Koziołek, Rector of the University of Silesia and leader of the Academic Consortium – Katowice City of Science, wrote that we are both beneficiaries and victims of applied sciences. Therefore, we should use scientific achievements, but in a reasonable way. Will this be enough?

M.D.: Silesia is a very interesting region with intriguing past, once multinational, where industry developed dynamically due to the available raw materials. People made fortunes here. You could own a steelworks or a coal mine, and live in a palace. The people who lived here did not perceive the environmental situation the way we do now. In Nikiszowiec, one of Katowice districts, the living conditions of inhabitants were really good for that period. People came here from all different places. Even if your health condition gets worse, you don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Life changed science here. The conditions were favourable for conducting scientific research and implementing newly developed solutions, and now we are facing the environmental effects of this long-term industrial activity. Then the transformation period began. We moved away from heavy industry. Katowice and its surroundings changed a lot, and a certain vacuum appeared.

M.K.: How are we going to fill it?

M.D.: There are some concepts to replace the former industry with a new one. I’m talking about the industry of knowledge. Important scientific and technological solutions in all areas of knowledge, which are of key significance for the society, are part of it. Such solutions will be presented during the ESOF2024 conference.

M.K.: These solutions will be presented within six thematic areas, including energy transition, sustainable environment, cultural identities and societal transformations, digital transformation as well as healthy societies and changes within scientific excellence. While the first five are related to civilisational challenges that we have heard about for a while, the sixth one sounds surprising.

M.D.: The areas are very broad, so that the highest possible number of scientists can present their research there. We are planning the organisation of panel sessions and we will invite special guests.

The research excellence area is addressed to experts who do not only have impact on the form of contemporary science, but also talk about funding and evaluating scientific activities. Excellence is a multi-dimensional creation. There are many factors that may either contribute to its development or prevent it. Obviously, the quality of science can be interpreted based on different indicators, for example from the perspective of the number of citations and international visibility, but this is not excellence yet.

M.K.: Mr Rector, for you research excellence is...

M.D.: ... my credo as a scientist and a lifetime formula that guarantees reliability and integrity of the results of my research.

We don’t operate in vain. What happens around us has impact on science, which is why the accompanying word is transformation. Let me give as an example the currently fashionable idea of open access, which means that everyone can see the results of scientists’ work and has the right to use them. Our question is: why and who funds it? We have to cover the costs of publication, data protection and storage, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. New professions are born before our eyes. Splicer disappeared in the Middle Ages, and now we have data steward, that is, someone who takes care of scientific data. This sounds good, although none of us is fully aware of what it actually means.

If we are to use these results, their reliability is fundamental. In other words, these are data that I would also obtain by applying the same method as their author. Here we touch upon certain issues related to ethics, with philosophical grounds. In the centre we have a human being who carries out their tasks according to their knowledge and in line with what is expected from them.

M.K.: A great subject to discuss within an international circle...

M.D.: I would really like a majority of people to understand that scientific circles are mainly required to maintain high ethical standards. This is the social responsibility of science. We are in debt of public confidence that we should not overuse. This is a certain certificate of academicism that I would like to discuss with other people interested in this specific thematic area. It is worth wondering together how to direct your development in order to get closer to research excellence understood in this way. I am very curious to find out the effect of these talks, and I’m really looking forward to meeting scientists from all over the world during the ESOF2024 conference in Katowice.

M.K.: In one of the interviews, Clive Cookson, a science journalist from „Financial Times” and participant of many ESOF conferences, emphasized the significance of being on site, together with other people. He talked about the strong need of direct contact and discussion with scientists, not only during the sessions, but also behind the scenes, often in unusual places. He provided the example of the meeting during ESOF2020 in a beautiful café in Trieste, where the history of the world-famous Illy coffee began almost one hundred years ago. The organisers of ESOF2024 conference will definitely make sure that the participants are able to get to know our region, its culture and tradition. The people taking part in the conference, who decide to come to us, will be able to get to know Katowice, the European City of Science 2024, with its unique history and architecture. It’s also worth highlighting the conference venue: International Congress Centre, outstanding in terms of design and considered as one of the best of its kind in Poland.

M.D.: Please come to Katowice in June.

M.K.: Thank you very much for the interview.

Source: "Gazeta Uniwersytecka UŚ" 2023, nr. 3 (313).