Strengthen democracy: start to participate in the citizens in Kassel!

Strengthen democracy: start to participate in the citizens in Kassel!

Kassel, Deutschland - On June 10, 2025, the kick -off event for a new series of talks from the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK) took place in the casting house of the University of Kassel. The aim of this series is to actively bring science and politics together with citizens in order to show perspectives for resilient democracy. During the event, Science Minister Timon Gremmels emphasized how important the dialogue between these areas is and what role the participation plays in political processes in order to strengthen social cohesion. "Democracy needs science. Science needs democracy," explained the university president Prof. Dr. Ute Clement, while Prof. Dr. Felix Welti emphasized the importance of equal and inclusive inclusion in the democratic design.

various projects for democracy promotion, gender research, inclusion, diversity and sustainability were presented during the event. Experts and citizens discussed various social perspectives, including schools, operated, rural areas and human-nature ratio. Minister Gremmel also found that it is important to stand up against anti -Semitism and historical revisionism in order to advance democratization and social cohesion. This series of talks is part of the program "Strengthening Hessen Democracy Research", the aim of which is to consolidate the resilience of democracy against extremism and polarization.

science as part of democracy

Again and again it is emphasized that science and democracy need each other. According to Research and teaching Robert Merton warns in 1938 that the place of science is endangered if its value is evaluated politically or economically. The increasingly quantitative evaluation of scientific results leads to a conflict between scientific uncertainty and external expectations. Prof. Dr. Welti emphasized the importance of criticism and the ongoing reflection in scientific communication. Corona pandemic in particular served as a "real experiment" how science can influence society and how the dialogue between different areas should be designed.

Günter Stock, President of the Union of German Science Academies, also critically commented on influence on science by social groups. In a contribution to Science.de Stock describes the need for the autonomy of science in order to meet the challenges of always changing global society. In this context, the "democratization of science" is discussed, which could promote particular interests, but can also help to involve citizens in research processes.

new forms of participation

In the discussions about these topics, the importance of concepts such as "co-design" and "co-production" is emphasized. These approaches demand a rethink in science and try to actively involve civil society in research programs. However, there are still critical voices, as it is feared that the public could have negative effects on research goals.

Finally, it can be stated that the relationship between science and democracy is complex and requires constant reflection to meet the challenges of our time. The Hessian Ministry's series of talks shows how important this topic is and what exchange is needed to lead science and society together into the future. The exchange between the different actors is of crucial importance in order to strengthen democracy through participation and to consolidate resilience against extremist currents.