Massimiano Bucchi

To close the symposium, this panel will synthesise insights emerging from the working groups, panels, and community discussions. It will focus on actionable strategies for strengthening science communication ecosystems, building sustainable professional networks, and fostering collaborative practices—both within Asia and globally. The session will explore how the region can lead by example, particularly in settings where English is a second language, and how non-Western perspectives can be more meaningfully integrated into science communication theory, training, and practice worldwide.

Vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 throughout the world are not only a major organisational challenge, but also a communication and social challenge. Recent data from several countries show that a relevant proportion of citizens either do not plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or would rather postpone their vaccination. We argue that such attitudes are not the result of generalised scepticism about vaccination, nor of generalised distrust in science. We analysed data from three survey waves on attitudes to vaccination against COVID-19 conducted in Italy in October 2020, January 2021, and May 2021 in the context of the Science in Society Monitor.

Positive evaluations of experts’ communication and trust in their contribution—as well as in that of health institutions, local authorities, and healthcare workers—play a key role in understanding the willingness to be vaccinated.

Relevant implications can be drawn in terms of communication efforts and institutional strategies that are essential to build effective and inclusive vaccination campaigns.