Thinking tanks A few years ago, I attended an exclusive think-tank in Europe, the topic of which related to some things that interest me about cities, communities, equity and mental health (1). I didn’t know very much in advance about how the meeting was put together nor who else might be there. I think this was deliberate, so that all attendees might turn up without pre-conceptions. It turned out that the constitution of the group was a rough mix of activists, urbanists, organizers, practitioners and scientists. I’d consider myself a member of that last group, but it was clear to me that we pointy-headed types were very much in the minority. Nothing wrong with that, I thought, and certainly in keeping with an enduring motivation of mine, which is to find some way to activate my research in the real world. Maybe here, I thought, I would get some valuable mentoring in how to make such things happen.
Fully agree - this is a long-running problem. How to communicate science with decision-makers. Often the politicians come from a legal background and there is an important role for an "interpreter" who can navigate between the two worlds.
Fully agree - this is a long-running problem. How to communicate science with decision-makers. Often the politicians come from a legal background and there is an important role for an "interpreter" who can navigate between the two worlds.