Skip to main content
Knowledge4Policy
KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY

Supporting policy with scientific evidence

We mobilise people and resources to create, curate, make sense of and use knowledge to inform policymaking across Europe.

Event | 06 May 2024

The Belgian Presidency places Social Sciences Arts and Humanities at the heart of a Science for Policy ecosystem

The ‘Stronger Together’ conference on evidence-informed policymaking, under the auspices of the current 6-month Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will bring together renowned scholars from academia and key policymakers with experience in working with evidence, along with representatives of knowledge broker organisations.

Katarzyna UDALA Katarzyna UDALA Evidence-Informed Policy Making

 

By Anastasia Deligkiaouri (PhD, Policy Analyst, JRC), April 2024

Join us for the ‘Stronger Together’ conference on evidence-informed policymaking (EIPM) on 6-7 May in Brussels, taking place under the auspices of the current 6-month Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Evidence-informed policymaking aims to inform decision-making process in policymaking with scientific outputs, while safeguarding a procedure which is open, transparent and brings the diversity needed to convey all aspects of a policy problem and the potential policy options. As such, EIPM contributes to enhanced legitimacy of decisions and accountability, which are two of the main cornerstones of democratic politics. “Defending rule of law, democracy, and unity” is one of the six areas of priority of the BE presidency focusing on the rule of law, individual rights and democratic values

In the process of informing policymaking with science, the role of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (SSAH) has not always been valued as it should. However, with the polycrisis model creating waves of shocks around the globe and the ever-more prominent importance of identifying the social impact and implications of decisions and policies at stake, lately, the role of social sciences has been receiving due recognition.

A series of high-level policy documents testify this recognition and acknowledge the significance of science for policy (S4P) in general; the most recent are the Compet Council of the EU Conclusions on ‘Strengthening the role and impact of research and innovation in the policymaking process in the Union’ (December 2023) and the Ghent Declaration on the ‘Challenges and Common Actions  for European Public Administrations’ (February 2024). Building on this momentum, the conference aims to discuss current topics and challenges on EIPM and underpin the need to integrate and upgrade the role of SSAH in the use of evidence.

Register here 

 

The use of evidence brings together scientists and policymakers in a process of collaboration with the main purpose of reaching better-informed decisions for a positive impact of society. Providing timely and independent evidence in policymaking to better impact societies is the main mission of the JRC, which contributes to this conference by participating in the Scientific Committee and in the organisation of two parallel sessions.

More specifically, JRC participates in the conference with:

  • a keynote speech by the JRC’s Jolita Butkeviciene (Director responsible for Innovation in Science and Policymaking) on the role of JRC as key knowledge broker in an emerging European science-for-policy ecosystem as well ashow the JRC works with evidence and creates capacity for EIPM across the S4P ecosystem (Monday, 6 May at 09:30-11:00)
     
  • two sessions in which the Science4Policy team of JRC presents a case on the development and use of AI for policymaking by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (session 2) and chairs and organises session 8: 
     
    • Session 2: AI for EIPM – new technological factors in science for policy (Monday, 6 May at 14:00-15:15)
       
    • Session 8: Which are the essential competences and skills for the actors of EIPM ecosystems, scientists and policymakers? (Tuesday, 7 May 09:45-11:00).

 

The conference, suitably entitled ‘Stronger together’ to underline the need for collective action and a system’s approach to building capacity for EIPM, brings renown scholars from academia and key policymakers with experience in working with evidence along with representatives of knowledge broker organisations whose role is to stand in between science and policymaking and ‘translate’ scientific results to policy related outputs. This translation and connection between science and policy consists of different functions such as: disseminating, translating, synthesising and communicating research for policy and creating processes  for science for policy (SWD, 346,2022)  The sessions will consist of roundtable presentations, interventions and participatory formats as the purpose is to engage the audience and produce in collaborative way a policy brief with the main outcomes of the project.

The conference will take place on 6 and 7 May 2024, at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. It is open to all but there is a limited capacity of 150 participants. We, therefore, advise for an early registration to those interested to secure a place. You may find the full programme of the conference and the registration link here.

Join us in this effort to understand better the challenges of EIPM, the competences needed to address them and have the opportunity to shape the debate on the use of evidence in policymaking. 

Register to join the conference