Interest and the desire for discussion were also high at the second event in our series “CoronaDialog – Who Can We Even Believe Anymore?”: Over 150 participants gathered on the evening of March 15, 2021, to discuss the connections between science and politics during the pandemic alongside Saxon politicians and researchers from the HSZG.

75 percent express general trust

After a brief welcome and introduction, we delved into our topic through two surveys: Approximately 75% of participants confirmed a general trust that COVID-19 measures are being taken for the good of the population, and about one-third of participants believe that, in addition to virology and epidemiology, other scientific disciplines also play a central role in COVID-19 policy. These survey results alone demonstrate a strong need for dialogue among citizens, the scientific community, and policymakers.

Dr. Maicher (member of the Saxon State Parliament and Chair of the Committee on Science, Universities, Media, Culture, and Tourism) then clearly explained to us how a COVID-19 measure is developed and when and how science is incorporated into this process. Her presentation served as the basis for our subsequent discussion. The other guests were introduced: Prof. Raj Kollmorgen (HSZG, Sociology), Prof. Dr. Maja Dshemuchadse (HSZG, communication psychology), and Dr. Stephan Meyer (Member of the Saxon State Parliament, Representative for the Görlitz District), who kicked off the discussion with their perspectives on the current debate.

Questions from the Audience

Once again, we didn’t have to wait long for the first questions from the audience. The topics that most concerned the participants were, once again, the rationale behind specific measures and how they were communicated, as well as questions about social cohesion and science communication. The questions were quite controversial and emotionally charged, prompting the politicians to admit that many things were not going optimally and that they themselves were not satisfied with some of the decisions.

The related questions in the chat made this clear—Prof. Kollmorgen voiced what was arguably the most controversial perspective. He noted that one must be aware of the limits of (even good) science communication. Under no circumstances, he said, would interested laypeople become experts as a result.

Two Key Insights

The closing statements brought two little nuggets of wisdom to light: The first came from Dr. Maicher. She stated that supporters of the Swedish approach (fewer rules, more personal responsibility) should carefully consider whether they are simply rejecting the measures under this approach, or whether they truly want more personal responsibility. After all, if they did, they would have to independently implement measures at least as strict as those currently required by law.

The second gem was revealed by Prof. Dshemuchadse: The bad mood we all seem to have at times due to the current situation is our own feeling. We must find solutions for it—not someone else.

The event was moderated by Cornelius Pollmer in an engaging manner, without shying away from uncomfortable questions.

Lessons Learned from the Last Event

Following our first CoronaDialog on February 22, 2021, we made a few methodological changes for the subsequent event. For example, we intervened more often as moderators in the sometimes heated chat discussions, sorted the questions asked by topic in the background so that the moderator had a good overview, and encouraged the audience to ask questions verbally (unfortunately, only one participant took advantage of this opportunity) …

…and only posed questions from people using their real names—though Peter Silie wasn’t on the list of participants this time either…

The once again high number of participants and the large volume of questions demonstrate a continued, very strong need for communication and dialogue in times of crisis. We at the Saxony5 transfer project are taking this as an opportunity to organize further exciting dialogue formats in the future—in line with our goal of bringing citizens and academia closer together—whether digitally or at our new CELSIUZ.

The event was organized as part of the Saxony5 Transfer Project.