Communication Academy

The “Basics of Science Communication” course offers participants a compact introduction to key themes of science communication.

The course focuses on the following topics:

• Science communication: functions, roles and trends
• Conceptual basics: how do I communicate effectively?
• Science and media with a focus on the Swiss media system
• Social media: opportunities and risks, channels and trends
• Newer formats: videos, podcasts, interactive events

Participants learn how to start writing by using improvisation techniques. They learn that failure is not a reason to give up, but rather a valuable tool, also in science communication.

The course is dedicated to the following topics:

• Participants can overcome writer's block by using improvisation techniques in a playful way.
• With the help of short exercises, collaborative storytelling and rapid drafting, participants will learn how to transform complex research findings into texts that are easy for a non-specialist audience to understand.
• The course promotes creativity, experimentation and curiosity, offering practical tools for generating ideas that can be used in science communication.

Would you like to share your research field and projects using multimedia? This course will encourage you to think in images, sounds and videos in the context of your research and it will teach you the fundamentals of multimedia storytelling.

- Introduction to multimedia storytelling; what is the potential of this form?

- Get to know practical examples

- Develop ideas on how stories from your own research could be presented in multimedia

- Presentation and discussion

For one day, the course is dedicated to the following topics:

• Familiarise yourself with different forms of multimedia storytelling
• Sharpen your awareness of which stories are suitable for multimedia implementation, and which are not
• Develop and present an idea sketch for a multimedia story about your own research
• Learn to generate more enthusiasm and understanding for your research among the general public

You will learn the most important elements that make up good stories, analyze your science from the perspective of storytelling and apply the learned lessons on your research by hands-​​on work.

For one day, the course is dedicated to the following topics:

• Introduction & storytelling basics
• Transform your research into stories: Identify your story elements;
• Frame your story for different audiences
• Presentations and discussion

Whether you want it or not, you are already a brand! By the way you comfort yourself online and in the analogue world. By the way you choose the topics of your research and how you write your papers. It is now about consciously shaping this brand. This brand is also composed of the role you choose to communicate in. Which is it?

The course is dedicated to the following topics:

• The spectrum of communicator roles in science
• Implications of different communicator roles
• Goals to reach with different communicator roles
• The parts of a personal brand
• Crafting your personal brand

Social Media platforms have their own constraints and possibilities for captivating storytelling. And storytelling is key for researchers who want to convey their research results and other messages. In this course, participants will discover the basics for text-related and visual storytelling with focus on Social Media.

The course is dedicated to the following topics:

• Visual texting for Social Media
• Hooks and “3 C” approach
• Hashtags, SEO and font changes
• Image & text combination
• Choices of photography
• AIDA principle
• Basics of video storytelling
• Forms of presentation

Prompting lies at the heart of today's most powerful AI tools — from language models like ChatGPT to image and video generators. In this do-it-yourself workshop, you will explore the art and science of prompting: how
to write effective prompts, refine them through iteration, and apply advanced techniques such as reverse prompting and metaprompting. Along the way, you will gain insight into how generative AI systems work, try out different models, and discuss their limits and risks. The focus is on hands-on experimentation, giving you practical skills to control and guide AI outputs in research, communication or creative work.

Participants will

• understand the principles behind effective AI prompting 
• write and refine prompts for text, image and multimodal outputs
• explore different prompting techniques and with different AI systems
• discuss limitations, risks and ethical aspects of AI

How can I, as a researcher, contribute to global political processes, and who are the relevant stakeholders? What role can I play in collaborating with political decision-makers?

This full-day workshop provides insights into these questions through expert presentations and practical exercises and builds competencies in the field of science and global policymaking.

• Introduction to the role of science in addressing global political challenges.
• Exploration of various science-policy mechanisms, strategies, and competencies in multilateral contexts.
• Personal reflections on current and future positioning within the science-policy spectrum.
• Practical exercises to encourage strategic thinking among participants.

Writing for a general audience is one of the most important skills in science communication. In this course you’ll get hands-on, practical training from an experienced journalist in how to engage with a widerpublic.

The focus of the course is translating your research into accessible language
and getting non-specialists excited about your work. Participants will produce
a text that can be used as the starting point for a news story or video storyboard.

Module 1 covers the basics:

• How can I turn my research into a story that will engage the public?
• Tips for writing a text in an accessible, exciting way
• Using metaphor and examples to make science clear and relevant for readers

Participants have the opportunity to write their own story and get individual feedback during the two weeks between the first and second modules

In module 2, participants practice and perfect what they have learned and add to their skills.

• Feedback from instructor and other participants on written texts
• How to craft eye-catching headlines that will attract readers
• Discussion of best practice examples
• How to reach journalists and identify your target audience

High-quality scientific graphics and illustrations are instantly recognisable—but how can you create them yourself? This course introduces you to the fundamentals of visual science communication, from information design and storytelling to typography, colour, and visual composition.

In this course, you will learn how to present complex scientific content clearly, accessibly, and in a visually compelling way with no priordesign experience is required.
We will link the theoretical concepts below directly to practical exercises and
group discussions. By applying them immediately, you will internalize the design principles and be better equipped to transfer them to your own posters, presentations, and other scientific formats after the course.

• Information design: Structuring complex content clearly and tailoring it to the target audience
• Storytelling: Refining key messages and developing a compelling visual narrative
• Typography & layout: Choosing typefaces, ensuring readability and
  creating coherent page layouts
• Visual fundamentals: Using form, color and composition effectively

Participants learn how to present their scientific topics to non-expert audiences in formats such as TEDx, FameLab, Scientifica, IdeasLab (WEF), or Falling Walls, as well as in open lectures and business presentations.  The workshop covers the basics of public speaking and is aimed at participants with little or no experience of public speaking.

Module 1

• Presentation skills (stage movement, body language, gesticulation
• How to communicate complex topics to non-experts
• Basics of data storytelling to persuade and simplify
• Advanced intonation techniques to avoid sounding monotonous
• How to engage the audience and keep them interested
• How to maintain eye contact
• Structure and elements of an impactful presentation
• How to remove filler words
• Working with different types of microphones
• Improvisation and answering unexpected questions

Module 2

• Each participant presents a short speech with slides
• Individual feedback from the lecturer and other participants
• Stress management first aid toolbox

If you want to reach a younger, non-​​scientific audience, you can't get around videos these days. Participants learn how to create their own science video, from the idea to the final edit.

The workshop is divided into two days:

Module 1 covers the basics:

• Journalism and Storytelling: pitching, developing and researching to transform a research story into a journalistic story
• Screenwriting and Storyboarding
  
• Participants are given the opportunity to film their own videos during the two weeks between the first part and the second part

In module 2, participants practice what they have learned:

• Camera, lighting and audio (material will be provided by the trainer and the multimedia of the ETH)
• Film editing (using Premiere Pro Software)

How can I present my research convincingly and effectively to the media in front of the camera? As an expert, how can I explain complex issues well and clearly, and how do I deal with the media in tricky situations?

Participants gain the tools they need to deal with members of the media. The focus is on TV appearances.

In this 240-minute course, you will learn a lot about the media and how to deal professionally with media professionals. You will receive valuable tips on how to appear confidently in front of a camera and microphone, and you will also practise this on site. (Please note that this course is only available in German.)

Our course focuses on the following topics:

• Appearing in front of the camera: What is important?
• Understanding better means working better together: What makes the media tick?
• What are my rights? And what are the no-gos?
• How do I prepare myself optimally?
• Formulating statements that go down well
• Plus: exercise sequences, checklists and sharing experiences

Get fit for your next media appearance and develop a passion for media work!

This course provides researchers and professors with a practical introduction to the German-speaking and international media landscape. Participants gain insight into how journalism works and what journalists expect when reporting on scientific research. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn how to distill complex findings into clear, compelling, audience-oriented messages, and how to develop strong core statements that accurately reflect your work.

This session will be conducted in English and may include an invited  journalist to put your workshop skills into practice.

During this 180-minute course, participants focus on:

• The role and responsibility of the media for science and for society
• Journalists’ working methods, expectations, and the key differences between German-language and international media
• Structured, targeted preparation for media interviews
• Developing clear, memorable, and audience-focused core messages that make your research understandable and relevant