You are cordially invited to the seventh USRN Online Forum co-hosted by the University Social Responsibility Network (USRN) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The Forum, themed "Post-Truth and the Role of Science", will be held on Wednesday, 20 May 2026.
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?
Download the poster with details.
- Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
- Time: 08:30 - 09:30 UTC time [Time converter]
- Format: Online via Zoom
Moderated by:
- 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
Register now!
Deadline to register: 15 May 2026.