Fomento de la Cultura Científica en las instituciones de educación superiorestrategias y medios para la comunicación de la ciencia y la tecnología

Abstract

In response to the importance science communication has acquired in recent decades, it has been necessary for knowledge-producing organisms and institutions to adapt and incorporate it as an essential task. This has meant the emergence and consolidation of the so-called Scientific Culture and Innovation Units, structures that carry out this dissemination in a professional way. These are one of the basic elements that has led the science communication’s institutionalization at the national level. However, ten years after its implementation, there has been no exhaustive review of this system to assess whether the management of the scientific culture by these units continues to be adequated, or any changes are needed. The aim of the present work has been to shed light on this question, through a critical analysis that has allowed the author to characterize and evaluate the promotion of scientific culture model assumed by the UCC+i, with regard to outreach and general communication of scientific knowledge and in the context of higher education institutions. The project has comprised a study designed to address three different dimensions of the same phenomenon: an assessment of the functioning and strategies of the UCC+i, its comparison with another system in order to identify trends and best practices, and the analysis of its initiatives’ effectiveness. Based on the findings, a management proposal for scientific culture in universities has been created, which —if applied— it would mean a better use of resources as well as being in line with current trends in this area.