In this blog post, we follow a conversation between two early-career researchers, Diana Borniotto and Océane Duluins, as they grapple with a timely and often contentious question: Can (and should) science be apolitical? Diana, whose PhD research explores the agri-environmental governance of EU agricultural policy and its role in shaping its environmental objectives, and Océane, who investigates the protein transition as the shift away from intensive animal-based production and consumption systems from a systems and interdisciplinary perspective, draw from their own experiences as researchers deeply engaged with political research topics. Our dialogue delves into the topic of science for policy interface, tackling the blurred boundaries between the two, raising questions about neutrality, positionality, responsibility, and the (political) values that underpin research.
Here is our conversation