We are very pleased to announce the launch of a new concept paper, An Odessi for Public Enaggement in a New Era of Science, authored by Professor Joy Y. Zhang, the framework calls for a fresh approach to navigating science-society relations in a time of global uncertainty and technological transformation.
O.D.E.SS.I., which stands for Open, Deliberative, Enabling, Sensible and Sensitive, and Innovative, is a paradigm designed to guide more inclusive, responsive, and diplomatically agile forms of public engagement with science. It seeks to move beyond outdated deficit models and emphasises the importance of recognising, repairing, and reimagining the social relations that underpin the development and governance of science and technology.
‘Science is moving faster, crossing more boundaries—disciplinary, national, and ethical—than ever before,’ said Prof. Zhang. ‘there is both a pressing need and a timely opportunity to reimagine public engagement—not only as a mode of science communication, but as a form of internal science diplomacy that fosters dialogue across sectors, cultures, and political sensibilities.’
The concept is especially relevant to emerging areas such as engineering biology, where public support may appear high, but social acceptance can quickly erode if innovations are introduced without thoughtful engagement or sensitivity to diverse and competing social expectations.
The paper positions public engagement, ethics, and science diplomacy as interdependent pillars of inclusive science governance and calls for practical experimentation across countries and sectors. In the coming years, we will host a series of international workshops to test and refine the O.D.E.SS.I. approach.
We’ll begin this September with a small in-person gathering in London, bringing together academics, science communicators, and both national and international policymakers for an open and collaborative discussion on how better engagement can help shape the future of good science governance.
For enquiries or to participate in O.D.E.SS.I. events, contact: Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice: gsej@kent.ac.uk