Teaching scientific evidence and critical thinking for policy making

Abstract

While there is worldwide tendency to promote the use of scientific evidence to inform policy making, little has been done to train scientists and policy makers for this interaction. If we want to bridge the gap between academia, scientific knowledge and policy, we must begin by providing formal training and skill building for actors and stakeholders. Scientists are not trained to communciate and inform policy, and policy makers are not trained to understand scientific process and assess evidence. Building an environment where this collaboration can flourish depends on teaching competencies and abilities specific for decison-making processess. As professors of policy with a background in science, we have started teaching preliminary courses on the use of scientific evidence in policy making. Feedback from students and institutions has been positive, paving the way for similar courses in other schools and institutions and maybe even new career paths. This paper is intended to share our experience in designing and teaching courses aimed at training policy makers. Moving forward we plan to include training for science majors, thus encompassing the two main sides of this dialogue and opening new career opportunities for scientists and policy makers.