RHET AI: Science Communication Series

To gain first-hand experience and increase their reach and relevance, participants will develop a real science communication project over the course of the workshops. Workshops will be held at either the MPI-IS Tübingen or Stuttgart campus (details below), and transportation will be provided to and from the workshop if needed. Sign up to attend the series below. 

Completion of all five workshops will earn IMPRS-IS scholars 3 ECTS credit points. 

REASONS TO PARTICIPATE

• Promote your personal career development and increase your visibility in research and media
• Create broader interest and attention for your research and underline its relevance
• Initiate your own science communication project and learn how to project manage its implementation
• Get to know different formats, media and strategies of science communication
• Formulate addressee-oriented core messages and develop effective communication designs

WORKSHOPS

1. Workshop 1: Introduction to Science Communication on Artificial Intelligence
Date: Friday, February 3
Location: MPI-IS Tübingen
Times: 9:00 - 15:30
Trainers: Dr. Markus Gottschling & Viktorija Völker
Objectives:

• Opportunities and challenges of science communication
• Overview and dimensions of science communication formats and media communication channels
• Dissecting myths and public imaginations of AI 
• Instructive strategies for communicating AI to target audiences

2. Workshop 2: Project Development 
Date: Friday, February 24
Location: MPI-IS Tübingen
Times: 9:00 - 15:00
Trainers: Dr. Markus Gottschling & Viktorija Völker
Objectives:

• Developing appropriate communication formats for your own research
• Getting to know creative techniques & creating new routines
• Working on your own format with the whole development process from concept to prototype
• The project you decide on in this course will be presented in a pitch format at the final course 

3. Workshop 3: Language and Style
Date: Friday, March 24
Location: MPI-IS Tübingen
Times: 9:00 - 15:30
Trainers: Dr. Markus Gottschling
Objectives:

• Writing for public audiences 
• Getting to know formats and contents of science journalism and public relations
• Core messages, comprehensible explanations and illustrative storytelling
• Learning about resources and networks in science PR and journalism

4. Workshop 4: Visualization
Date: Friday, April 14
Location: MPI-IS Stuttgart
Times: 9:00 - 15:30
Trainers: Michael Pelzer
Objectives:

• Basics of successful visualizations
• Visual core messages and visual abstracts
• Infographics and data visualization
• Developing a poster for a pitch presentation 

5.  Workshop 5: Pitch Perfect Presentation
Date: Friday, May 5
Location: MPI-IS Tübingen
Times: 9:00 - 15:30
Trainers: Michael Pelzer
Objectives:

• Master presentation techniques, especially for short and effective pitches
• Communicate key messages emphatically and confidently
• Differentiate between explanation, advice and persuasion
• Presentation of the science communication projects, giving and receiving feedback

COURSE TRAINERS

Dr. Markus Gottschling
Markus is head of the Communicative Competence Unit of RHET AI Center and has been leading workshops in presentation, science communication and project management for more than 10 years. Under his leadership, the certificate program Science Communication was developed and successfully established at the University of Tübingen.

Viktorija Völker
Viktorija is a rhetorician and philosopher with a focus on humor and argumentation analysis. As a project manager and trainer she is active in the certificate program Science Communication and in the Communicative Competence Unit. She holds the Baden-Württemberg Certificate for Teaching and Learning and has many years of teaching experience at the University of Tübingen.

Michael Pelzer
Michael is a rhetorician with a focus on knowledge design. For several years, he has been advising university institutions on vivid visualizations in the field of science communication. He develops and leads workshops on visual science communication and knowledge design for Tübingen university’s Sharing Knowledge initiative.

Note* By registering for this workshop, you express your interest to participate. In the event that a workshop’s interest exceeds attendance capacity, registrations will undergo a review process considering multiple aspects such as motivation, interest, and fit. All registrants will be notified of selection outcomes before each respective workshop.

The registration deadline has past for this workshop. With questions, please contact Sara Sorce (sara.sorce@tubingen.mpg.de).