Among the central themes of WSF2024 was the apparent erosion of trust in science and scientists. We sat down to talk with one of the invited speakers, Dr Ruth Morgan, Professor of Crime and Forensic Science at University College London and Co-Director of the UCL Arista Institute, who addressed this challenge by drawing parallels between forensic science communication and broader issues of public trust in scientific evidence.

Dr Tamara Elzein delivered a passionate keynote speech that challenged contemporary scientific paradigms at the recent 2024 World Science Forum (WSF) in Budapest, during the first plenary session “Trust in Science – Conceptualising Trust in Science”. The Secretary General of CNRS Lebanon also addressed the complex relationship between scientific advancement, school curricula and societal trust. The WSF sat down with Dr Elzein to elaborate on some of the ideas that came up in her talk.

“When we come together with unity of purpose, we can achieve great things”. The World Science Forum (WSF) had the opportunity to speak with Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim amongst the many sessions she had been moderating or speaking at during this year’s event as the president of TWAS and Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA.

The 11th World Science Forum, held in Budapest, Hungary on 20-23 November, ended with a declaration accepted unanimously by the founding and partner organisations and participants of WSF2024. The next Forum will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2026, and will be titled “Science for Global Resilience and Equity”.

At the 2024 World Science Forum in Budapest, Professor Helena Nader, President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, offered a clear perspective on scientific research and its impact on society. Trust in science, she argued, is not a uniform concept, but a complex phenomenon deeply rooted in local contexts and cultural understanding.

Day three of WSF 2024 continued in the afternoon of 23 November with thought-provoking sessions addressing critical issues in global science.