1,3,5- 1Transdisciplinary Course Program, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (solmaz.mohadjer@uni-tuebingen.de)
- 2Research Center for Science Communication, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (michael.pelzer@uni-tuebingen.de)
- 3Department of Geosciences, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (peter.dietrich@ufz.de)
- 4Stadtmuseum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (guido.szymanska@tuebingen.de)
- 5Natural Risks Assessment and Management Service, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona, Spain (iriscaterina@gmail.com)
In this presentation, we share preliminary results from a Service-Learning (SL) course that explores uncertainties related to natural hazards and appropriate communication strategies for strengthening dialogue between science and society. The SL format enables a transdisciplinary form of collaboration, allowing students to put into practice their acquired knowledge on hazards, impacts and communication strategies by working closely with the local museum (Stadtmuseum Tübingen) to create prototypes of exhibits to engage the public with the topic.
The course was piloted in the winter semester 2025/2026 at the University of Tübingen, Germany. It brought together instructors and students from Geosciences, Rhetoric, Media Studies, and other fields to address questions like (1) how do challenges of natural hazards affect Tübingen and its residents, (2) what is done to prepare for and deal with related risks, and (3) how can we create an active dialogue between science and society to foster a better understanding of related uncertainties?
Students explored these questions through a combination of literature and archival research, direct interactions with local experts and stakeholders, and visits to local sites where protection measures are implemented. They also collaborated with the Stadtmuseum to explore effective ways to engage the public with local hazards and related uncertainties. The course final output were students’ prototypes for exhibits that were tested in a public event for community feedback.
Using a questionnaire, we assessed students’ perspectives on their skills acquisition, knowledge and their levels of confidence to contribute more effectively to the integrated work needed to strengthen dialogue between science and society. In this presentation, we share these results together with community feedback, and discuss some challenges we faced in course implementation, and offer potential solutions to these challenges.
How to cite: Mohadjer, S., Pelzer, M., Dietrich, P., Szymanska, G., and Schneider-Pérez, I.: Fostering Civic Engagement on Natural Hazard Uncertainty: A Service-Learning course to create an active dialogue between science and society, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1824, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1824, 2026.
