„Responsibility in science, independence, non-partisanship, and solidarity are the basic principles of the Federation of German Scientists (VDW).“
Who are we?
In the Federation of German Scientists (Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler, VDW) scientists from all disciplines network to reflect on topics concerning the responsibility of science and its consequences for research, technology and society. With their expertise, they actively and responsibly shape the social debate on
important topics such as peace and security, sustainability, economy and digitalization.
A young and interdisciplinary think tank is affiliated to, yet independent from, the VDW: the Young VDW.
How do we network?
The VDW sees itself as an organization that is critical to the scientific system and cooperates with scientific institutions to include the broadest possible spectrum of knowledge in the
discourse. Research and teaching institutions need both a self-critical view of scientists towards their own field and guidance for achieving an interdisciplinary discourse.
The VDW supports policy debates and democratic decision-making with scientific argumentation. The VDW also encourages and supports pupils, students and young scientists to keep the potential consequences of their actions and activities in mind and to implement ethical principles in scientific practice – responsibly and with commitment. A central challenge for a strong science of tomorrow is to promote science education in this sense today. The most important catalyst for this is for recognized scientists to function as credible role models.
What are our values?
Responsibility, honesty, transparency, independence, non-partisanship and solidarity are the basic principles of the VDW. We realize these values through discourse between researchers, lecturers and experts in a constant dialogue between science, politics, and
society.
Why is the VDW necessary?
Science and technology are important foundations for the development of our society and have significant consequences for our civilization and culture. To ensure that innovative developments also contribute to humanitarian progress for mankind, they have to be discussed and implemented through an
inter- and transdisciplinary discourse including the widest possible range of scientific perspectives. The VDW’s strengths lie with its
broad spectrum of scientific expertise and its integration into institutionalized science.
The VDW aims to promote the understanding of science and its consequences in politics and society. In this context, it is essential to point out the social consequences of scientific results and findings, especially when these encounter tensions in the realms of political economy and peace policy. The VDW wants to sensitize scientists to these tasks and encourage them to discover alternative proposals and activities. In doing so, we draw on decades of experience in science and technology assessment, the preparation of studies on the core topics of war and peace, climate change, sustainability analyses as well as ecological and economic problems.
How do we implement our goals?
In study groups, we bundle, deepen, and expand expertise, in particular through interdisciplinary discourse on our cross-thematic core topics. Project groups take up new, current topics and can develop into study groups.
Annual conferences, symposia, workshops, and publications as well as media work and concrete proposals and recommendations for policy makers are the ways in which we want to bring scientific findings and discourses to the public and to politically relevant persons and institutions.
For our projects, we cooperate with national and international organizations and institutions in order to present our topics in an ap–
pealing and target group-oriented way. These lie especially in the fields of sustainability, science communication, digitalization as well
as peace and security.