2016 is the year in which Germany and Mexico will celebrate their bilateral relationships. Both countries will organize events aimed at the diffusion of knowledge about the other’s culture, economy, science, and technology. These celebrations form the background against which this course explores the dialogue between science and society. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences are increasingly encouraged to share their research and participate in public debates. As a consequence, the role of communication in the scientific practice is rapidly changing. Goal of this course is to train this particular competence. We will consider first the discussions about scientists’ role in society. Subsequently, the events related to the Germany-Mexico year or students’ own experiences in their internships will serve as cases to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of different communicative forms. Finally, students should present their ideas on how to share with the general public their specialized knowledge about Latin America. close

Doris Bachmann-Medick (2015). Transnational und translational: Zur Übersetzungsfunktionen der Area Studies. CAS Working Paper Series. Center for Area Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. No.1. – Anne Huffschmid (2014). transcultura_Kulturelle Schnittstellen zwischen Deutschland und Mexiko. Eine Sondierung der deutsch-mexikanischen Kulturbeziehungen. Stuttgart: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. – César Villanueva Rivas (2011). “The Rise and Fall of Mexico’s International Image: Stereotypical Identities, Media Strategies and Diplomacy Dilemmas,” Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 7(1): 23–31. close