Concerns about science scepticism, distrust in expertise, and forms of denialism have grown in recent years. “Post-truth” dynamics challenge both scientific authority and broader social trust, often for ideological or political ends. As Wight (2018) warns, abandoning the notion of objective truth erodes the very possibility of lies, justice, and rights; claims about social justice rely on shared standards of truth and moral common ground.

This online forum brings together speakers from the University Social Responsibility Network (USRN) member institutions to explore these challenges from different institutional and disciplinary perspectives. Together, we will consider these pressing questions: What responsibilities do scientists carry within the framework of university social responsibility? How should science communication respond in an age of mistrust and misinformation? And what are the implications for teaching and learning—what, and how should we be telling our students?

Theme	Post-Truth and the Role of Science
Date	Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Time	08:00 – 09:00 (UTC Time) [time coverter]
Format	Online via Zoom
Moderator	Drs Kaelin De Long Research Associate Faculty of Science, Athena Institute Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Speakers	Professor Jeroen de Ridder Professor of Epistemology and Metaphysics Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Dr Maria Inez Angela Z. Ponce de Leon Associate Professor Department of Communication Ateneo de Manila University Dr Wenting Yu Assistant Professor Department of Language Science and Technology The Hong Kong Polytechnic University