I'm Benedikt

a mountain adoring Crossfit amateur, passionate community builder, math tutor, science policy practitioner and researcher.

I am mainly interested in the role of research, evidence and universities in society and public policy. My current research is about scientific policy advice in the UN General Assembly. Besides, I act as Vice President of the think tank Reatch and Consultant at SIRIS Academic.

Science and Politics

I am convinced that politics and science are different worlds (using science as an umbrella term for all forms of academic research, like the German word ‘Wissenschaft’). Politics is about shaping the rules of coexisting in a society, it is about power, resources and achieving a common will. Science, in contrast, aims at describing the world as accurately and objectively as possible. The generation of reliable and preliminary scientific evidence is pursued along specific standards and methodologies. Still, no science is detached from normative design choices, any science happens in a socio-political context and scientific knowledge can be used in political decision-making to shape the world. Therefore, science is political.

Any type of science can only answer descriptive questions in a narrowly pegged, disciplinary field. Political questions are usually different: They ask about individual value priorities, involve a normative component and require political instead of scientific answers. Accordingly, science cannot lead the way when it comes to political decisions. It can, however, enrich the political process in three ways: Science produces reliable evidence, offering orientation and scenarios to inform politics, science can critique political measures set to achieve a specified political goal and it can pinpoint societal grievances.

A fruitful exchange between science and politics requires mutual understanding, regular exchange, and interpersonal ties between scientists and decision-makers. While scientists should avoid overstepping their areas of expertise or giving scientific answers to political questions, they can contribute to democratic decision-making by providing their expertise as scientists and engaging politically as citizens. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of politicians/policymakers not to selectively instrumentalise scientific evidence and to respect the limits of their expertise.

Education

After getting my Matura in Brig, where I grew up, I completed undergrad studies in medicine at University of Basel. During those years I gradually realised my fascination for the societal perspective on medicine: bioethics, statistics and public health attracted my interest. Accordingly, I dove into mathematics and philosophy to get to grips with the most fundamental concepts and tools - a truly rewarding (and taxing) experience. On the side, I explored the manifold interactions between research, society and politics in various functions at Reatch. Later, I pursued a Master of Public Administration in Science & Public Policy at University College London with a focus on the practice of scientific policy advice and the interplay between health research and public policy.