News from the MCAA - Science Speaks, but sometimes it needs researchers’ help - December 2025
Communicating science is now as essential as producing it, yet few researchers are ever trained to do it well. Science Speaks: Summer School for Science Communication stepped in to close that gap, bringing early-career scientists together for two days of hands-on training designed to help them make their work heard, understood, and trusted.
Ashish Avasthi is the Chair of the Communication Working Group. He works as an Associate Consultant at Nordic Innovators, supporting EU funding initiatives in the healthcare sector.
In an era where public trust in science cannot be taken for granted, science communication has become an essential part of a researcher’s work. Explaining complex ideas clearly, engaging with non-specialists, and connecting scientific discovery to everyday life are now key skills for any scientist. Yet, these are skills that are rarely taught in formal academic training. Even the Science|Business media outlet recently published an article about it. Recognising this gap, the idea of Science Speaks: Summer School for Science Communication was conceived to give researchers the confidence and practical tools to share their work beyond journals and conferences.
Held on 5–6 September 2025 at the Colomina Palace at CEU Cardinal Herrera University, in Valencia, Spain, the summer school brought together 30 early-career researchers from across Europe for two intensive days focused on one goal: learning how to make science heard, understood, and trusted.
Organised by the MCAA Communication Working Group, the MCAA Spain-Portugal Chapter, and El Caleidoscopio, under the Mediterranean Researchers’ Night (MEDNIGHT) project, the school combined expert lectures with hands-on workshops to strengthen the communication skills scientists increasingly need. Trainers from The Conversation, COALESCE, and the MCAA guided participants through different topics ranging from the need for science communication, TED-style talks, writing for general audiences, preparing policy briefs, engaging with media, and developing confidence in public speaking.
The programme blended concise, focused talks with highly interactive sessions. Participants drafted lay summaries, recorded short science pitches, and took part in role-playing games. A select group of 30 researchers ensured direct feedback, enabling each participant to leave with tangible outcomes tailored to their research area.
Beyond the classroom, the summer school became a genuine meeting point for researchers from diverse disciplines. Informal conversations over coffee and evening tapas evolved into discussions on collaboration, outreach, and the wider social responsibility of science.
The aim was to give researchers not just communication tools, but a mindset. Participants were encouraged to see science communication as part of doing excellent science, not an extra task.
As the final session closed, participants agreed on a shared insight: simplicity, clarity, empathy, and openness are as essential to research as data and methodology. Many are already drafting public articles, outreach pieces, and school talks inspired by the training.
The success of this year’s edition reaffirms a simple truth: science speaks loudest when scientists learn to tell their own stories.
Thanks to the excellent feedback and praise received from the participants, we are looking forward to organising the summer school in 2026.
Ashish Avasthi
MCAA Communication Working Group, Chair
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