Citizen Science Talks: The Forger project – scientific practices regarding public affairs
08/04/2026
Lecturers: Laurent Devisme, Professor of urban studies at Nantes Université; Astrid Corbineau, project manager for “Science with and for Society” at Nantes Université
About this lecture:
The recent history of science communication in France is closely intertwined with that of scientific, technical, and industrial culture. For laboratories and universities, this primarily involves popularizing scientific knowledge, regularly opening the doors to the academic world, and inspiring a desire to pursue careers in science. Another trend is emerging that seeks to start with public issues and socially pressing questions, and to organize science shops and other similar projects.
Strengthening the role of science in society is therefore a major democratic challenge. In France, the government has supported this ambition by awarding a label, along with dedicated funding, to universities engaged in a “science with and for society” (SAPS) approach. Nantes Université is part of this initiative through its FORGER project, which contributes to building a network of committed institutions. This approach is based on a renewed relationship: scientists more attentive to societal expectations, and citizens better informed to understand, discuss, and take part in scientific and technological issues.
Within this framework, the FORGER project develops concrete mechanisms for exploration and tool-building. A controversy observatory documents and connects territorial disputes, demonstrating how science can help shed light on such conflicts. Complementary initiatives, such as the “Le Passage des Sciences” series and the “Café des Sciences de la Transition Écologique,” create spaces for collective discussion and foster ongoing dialogue between science and society.
About the lecturers:
Laurent Devisme is full professor of urban studies at Nantes Université, Nantes school of architecture, vice president for sustainable development and scientific mediations (since 2022). His main research focus is on planning practices, urban theories and new metropolitan territories. Adopting an ethnographic approach of planning activities, his works concern urban professionals at work, foresight and consulting activities, urban sociology and urban studies theories. In the frame of his academic implication, his mandate consists both in focusing on the ecological transformation of the university (as regards to teaching, researching and lowering the environmental impact of the academic system) and exploring new ways for amplifying the place for sciences in public debates. The Forger project exemplifies this ambition.
Astrid Corbineau is project manager for “Science with and for Society” at Nantes Université. She is involved in coordinating this initiative across the institution and oversees the FORGER project, which focuses on controversies (scientific and territorial). The FORGER project brings together several collaborators from Nantes Université and external partners around a research chair, science mediation initiatives, and activities aimed at raising awareness of the scientific approach.
Contact
For further information, please contact Joacim Hansson
