Laura Bacete Cano (centre) attended the STS Forum in Japan together with fellow Young Academy of Sweden member Carolin Schütze (left) and the academy’s CEO, Sverker Lundin (right).
Researchers, policymakers and industry leaders from around the world gathered in Kyoto in October for the Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum). Laura Bacete Cano, researcher at Umeå Plant Science Centre and member of the Young Academy of Sweden, took part in both the forum and its Young Leaders Program. One of her main takeaways was that taking part in discussions about the future of science is part of the job as a researcher, not something separate from it.
The STS Forum brings together leaders from academia, politics and industry to discuss how science and technology can contribute to the future of society. This year’s meeting took place in Kyoto from 4–6 October and was preceded by a Young Leaders Program, where younger research leaders from around the world met each other and took part in a dialogue with Nobel laureates. We asked Laura five questions about the experience.
What made you interested in taking part in the STS Forum, and what were you hoping to get out of it?
As researchers, we spend most of our time talking with people in our own field. That is necessary, but I feel we also need to be part of the conversations about where science is going, and who decides that. The STS Forum was a unique chance to have those conversations with people from politics, industry, and diplomacy. I was especially interested in research funding and academic freedom, because they affect all of us, and I wanted to listen, to learn, and also to bring the voice of a young group leader into the room.
What was it like to meet researchers, politicians and industry leaders from around the world? What made the strongest impression on you?
I have been lucky: every single conversation I had was an interesting one, and I met people I would never have met otherwise. What struck me most was the difference between private and public conversations. For example, one-to-one, many people agreed that we need to be more cautious about the AI hype, and that a lot could change in how we prioritise research. But when the conversation became broader, those voices became much quieter. For me, that was a reminder that someone has to say these things out loud.
What did you take away from the Young Leaders Program and the dialogue with Nobel laureates?
I really appreciated the advice, which I would summarise as: keep an open and curious mind, and do not give up before doing the experiment (and then do at least three replicates!). Do not think that something is impossible, irrelevant, or unfundable. But I was also disappointed, though not surprised. Only one of the laureates was a woman, and the career advice still came down to working all the time because you are passionate about it. That leads to an unhealthy system, and an unfair one. I do not want a system that accommodates me; I want a system in which I can be comfortable. And if that is not the one we have, we need to build a new one.
Did any of the discussions make you think differently about your own role as a researcher?
Yes. I realised that taking part in these discussions is part of my job, not something on the side. In one of the sessions, I asked how we can keep academic freedom when more and more funding goes to priority areas, and when we are told again and again that the way forward is to feed our data into black boxes owned by big companies. Curiosity-driven research needs freedom, and I want to defend it. I also loved that most talks had no slides. They were not about showing data, as I am used to, but about starting a conversation. I would like to bring more of that into my own work.
Looking back, what will you take with you from the experience – professionally or personally?
A lot of gratitude – to the organisers for selecting me and to the Young Academy of Sweden for nominating and supporting me. Also many new connections, and a much broader view of the challenges we share across countries and disciplines. And a bit more determination. There is still a lot to do to create a fair system, and a lot to fight for to keep it free.
For questions, please contact:
Laura Bacete Cano, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University
E-mail:
https://bsky.app/profile/laurabacete.eurosky.social