We live in an era of democratic backsliding and autocratisation, in which science is increasingly under politically-motivated attack. This webinar will provide an overview of how scientists can respond and safeguard their work. The webinar will last for 1.5 hours with time for audience Q&A.  This webinar is based on The Anti-Autocracy Handbook: developed by an international group of researchers, led by psychologist and disinformation expert Stephan Lewandowsky, the handbook serves as a call to action, a toolbox, and a survival guide for scholars in politically hostile environments. Material related to the topic is linked below:

The Anti-Autocracy Handbook: https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/2094097/newsreserachresults-2025-arc 

EGU Blog: "The academic practice of resistance": https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2025/08/14/the-academic-practice-of-resistance-learning-solutions-in-the-age-of-autocracy/  

EGU Blog: "Democracy from the ivory tower": https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2025/10/03/democracy-from-the-ivory-tower-a-response-to-the-anti-autocracy-handbook-from-a-global-south-perspective/ 

JRC Publication: "Evidence-informed Policymaking: A pathway to increasing trust in democratic institutions and boosting competitiveness": https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC141543 

Conveners:

Simon Clark & Zsanett Greta Papp

Speaker

Stephan Lewandowsky (University of Bristol) - Stephan is a cognitive scientist at the University of Bristol whose main interest is in the pressure points between the architecture of online information technologies and human cognition, and the consequences for democracy that arise from those pressure points. His research explores people’s responses to misinformation and propaganda, and how corrections affect our memory; why people reject well-established scientific facts, such as climate change or the effectiveness of vaccinations; the potential conflict between the architecture of our online information ecosystem and democracy.

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Webinar

How Scientists Can Respond To Autocratisation

Start time

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 16:00 CET

Contact

webinars@egu.eu