Rector spoke at the international Glion Colloquium about how universities can rebuild trust in science

From 25 to 29 June, the Rector of the University of Tartu Toomas Asser participated in the 15th international higher education think tank "Trust and Truth – How they impact the complex Relationship between Science and Society” in Glion, Switzerland.

Founded in 1998, the Glion think tank brings together leaders from the education, business, and government sectors to discuss the role and future of universities and explore ways to serve society better.

In his speech, Toomas Asser presented his article titled “University’s third mission redefined: Rebuilding trust in truth”, in which he discusses, drawing on the experiences of the University of Tartu and Estonia, the opportunities universities have to prevent the spread of misinformation and suggests ways to strengthen trust in science. “This trust is not a given – it must be earned, protected and constantly updated. Universities must lead by example,” Asser emphasised.

The rector highlighted four key ideas in his presentation.

• Trust begins with education. To combat disinformation, it is necessary to teach critical thinking from an early age. Just like a driver’s license is required to drive a car, critical thinking should be seen as a basic civic skill.
• Disinformation must be tackled directly. The University of Tartu coordinates the Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders (BECID), which develops tools to detect disinformation and supports media literacy among young people and teachers. The university has started to offer a new interdisciplinary master’s programme “Disinformation and Societal Resilience” to educate experts who can defend democracy in the digital age.
• Science communication needs rethinking. Rather than lecture, one must learn to listen more. Science communication must not be one-way; it must be a dialogue that involves answering people’s questions, responding to their doubts and fears, and engaging them respectfully. Trust will grow when science is not seen as an elite project but as a solution to societal concerns.
• Science must be brought closer to society. This means being present in schools, interacting with communities, and participating in public debate. One way to do this is through citizen science. For example, thousands of people in Estonia participated in the project “Estonia is Looking for Cowslips” and helped map the locations where cowslips grow.