From November 6 to 9, 2025, the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin brought together leading thinkers from the worlds of science, politics, business, and civil society to share knowledge and foster collaboration. The annual science event coincides with the anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and seeks to inspire debates on how to make barriers fall in research and innovation.
As part of the summit, the Alfred Landecker Foundation hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Evidence and Public Discourse: Academia's Role in Democracy” on November 9.
Moderated by our Co-CEO Silke Mülherr, the panel featured Sudha David-Wilp, Vice-President External Relations and Senior Fellow from the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), Andrew Thompson, Professor of Global and Imperial History and Professional fellow at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, and Fabian Klose, Chair-Professor of International History and Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Cologne and Director of the Cologne Center for Advanced Studies in International History and Law (CHL).
Academia is challenged by political fragmentation and public distrust
The panelists emphasized that historical and sociological perspectives are more crucial than ever for understanding the complex polycrises “” facing today’s world. At the same time, they noted that the value of the humanities is increasingly questioned, encountering unprecedented levels of skepticism. In an information environment in which an increasing number of actors compete for the available attention, nuanced, fact-based arguments often struggle to compete with simplified soundbites appealing to emotions or individual viewpoints. The discussion highlighted the need for the scientific community to communicate more effectively with the wider public, showing why rigorous, research-driven perspectives matter beyond academia.
Sudha David-Wilp emphasized academia’s essential role as an independent, non-partisan source of evidence and knowledge. She highlighted that, especially in an era where everyone is easily perceived as “taking a side,” think tanks and universities must strive to regain trust and demonstrate their commitment to larger societal goals. David-Wilp stressed the importance of university leaders and policymakers acting as bridges by actively communicating how academic institutions contribute to evidence-based decision making in open democracies, thereby benefiting society at large.
Move beyond the ivory tower and engage with wider society
Prof. Fabian Klose made a strong case for why especially history and social sciences should be more assertive in contributing their knowledge – not being discouraged by those who question their relevance or added value. He stressed that, in addition to informing policymakers, academics must “move beyond the ivory tower” and actively engage with society. History, he argues, is not just about the past – but very much about crucial lessons for the present and potentially even the future.
Academics should be “more self-confident about what we are doing and what is our impact for society.” At the same time, Klose cautioned that scientists should be extra careful in maintainingthe important distinction between opinion-driven activism and fact-based research. “Everyone has opinions these days”, he argued. But to make a case, you need to have facts to prove and sustain your point”.
Demonstrate the value of academia in liberal democratic societies
Prof. Andrew Thompson called on the scientific community to embrace, rather than shy away from, controversies: “Free speech is an easy thing to say. It is often a harder thing to live up to, and it is hard to live up to when it requires us to listen respectfully to views that we strongly disagree with and which might even, at times, offend us. But in the academia, there’s an obligation on us at this particular moment for all views to be heard.”
Reflecting on the current political environment and the economic situation, he offered a warning: Disassembling and defunding academic institutions can happen quickly, but rebuilding them would take a long time. He urged academia to proactively “get on the front foot and assert our value in liberal democratic societies.” His advice to researchers who want to make an impact is to involve policymakers and practitioners early on in the research process, rather than merely presenting them with the final results. “It is about making sure our research deals with actual, real-world challenges for our findings to be relevant and noticed”, Thompson argued.
Take aways
The panel agreed: For academic research to be relevant, it needs to follow standards rigorously, not shy away from difficult debates and ultimately communicate results in a way that is understood beyond the ivory towers. At the same time, all thoroughly researched evidence is in vain, if audiences such as political decision makers and all those engaged and interested in political debate do not take the time and mind space to follow complex arguments. To be able to do all that, we need to fund our universities properly – and allocate the most precious resources we seem to have these days: time and attention.
© Falling Walls Foundation
© Falling Walls Foundation
© Falling Walls Foundation
© Falling Walls Foundation
Demonstrate the value of academia in liberal democratic societies
Prof. Andrew Thompson called on the scientific community to embrace, rather than shy away from, controversies: “Free speech is an easy thing to say. It is often a harder thing to live up to, and it is hard to live up to when it requires us to listen respectfully to views that we strongly disagree with and which might even, at times, offend us. But in the academia, there’s an obligation on us at this particular moment for all views to be heard.”
Reflecting on the current political environment and the economic situation, he offered a warning: Disassembling and defunding academic institutions can happen quickly, but rebuilding them would take a long time. He urged academia to proactively “get on the front foot and assert our value in liberal democratic societies.” His advice to researchers who want to make an impact is to involve policymakers and practitioners early on in the research process, rather than merely presenting them with the final results. “It is about making sure our research deals with actual, real-world challenges for our findings to be relevant and noticed”, Thompson argued.
Take aways
The panel agreed: For academic research to be relevant, it needs to follow standards rigorously, not shy away from difficult debates and ultimately communicate results in a way that is understood beyond the ivory towers.
At the same time, all thoroughly researched evidence is in vain, if audiences such as political decision makers and all those engaged and interested in political debate do not take the time and mind space to follow complex arguments.
To be able to do all that, we need to fund our universities properly – and allocate the most precious resources we seem to have these days: time and attention.