Communicating in a Crisis: Lessons Learned Five Years After Covid

UCL Public Policy

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and a panel of experts discuss the role of public communications in preparing for emergencies.

Kennedy Lecture Theatre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

This event brings together experts from across academia, media and policy to unpack the role of science communication during crises, drawing on the lessons learned five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, and asking what we need to be doing now to ensure we are prepared for crises in the future.Reflecting through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, the panel will discuss how governments and civil society can ensure that the public are kept informed and engaged at times of crisis. Thinking beyond public health emergencies, they will consider the role of data, experts and evidence in crisis communications, and the impacts on planning and preparedness to inform future responses to emerging global challenges.Speakers:Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam was the Deputy Chief Medical Officer from 2017-2022 and led on providing independent advice to the government and public during the Covid-19 pandemic. An epidemiologist with a specialismt in public health and pandemic preparedness, Professor Van-Tam has held a number of roles at the University of Nottingham, including Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Senior Strategy Advisor to the School of Medicine.Professor Susan Michie is Professor of Health Psychology and director of the UCL Centre for Behaviour Change. Her research focuses on human behaviour change in relation to health and the environment, understanding the motivations and interventions that influence behaviour, and the role of policy in shaping our actions. Professor Michie is part of the SAGE advisory group and provided evidence and insight to the government during the Covid-19 Pandemic.Professor Alice Roberts is Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She is an anatomist and anthropologist, author and broadcaster and has presented over a hundred TV documentaries and is passionate about public understanding of science and how research can improve our understanding of the world around us.Professor Jack Stilgoe is a professor in UCL’s department of Science and Technology Studies. His research focusses on responsible innovation, scientific advice and public engagement with science and technology.Dr Cath Haddon is programme director at the Institute for Government (IfG) and leads the IfG Academy team, which brings together expertise on government to provide practical training and support. Catherine is an expert commentator on the role of ministers, the constitution, No.10 and the Cabinet Office, preparation for government by political parties and the constitutional rules around general elections, and the history of government and civil service reform. Before joining the Institute in November 2008, Catherine was a lecturer on security and intelligence history; taught contemporary British history; and worked as a historian and researcher, including for the Cabinet War Rooms’ Churchill Museum and for various publications and media outlets.Dr Philip Ball is a freelance writer and broadcaster, and worked previously for over 20 years as an editor for Nature. He writes regularly in the scientific and popular media, and has authored many books on the interactions of the sciences, the arts, and the wider culture, including H2O: A Biography of Water, Bright Earth: The Invention of Colour, The Music Instinct, and Curiosity: How Science Became Interested in Everything. His book Critical Mass won the 2005 Aventis Prize for Science Books. Philip is a presenter of Science Stories, the BBC Radio 4 series on the history of science, and is the 2022 recipient of the Royal Society’s Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal for contributions to the history, philosophy or social functions of science. His latest book is How Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology (2023).

Agenda

Registration  and refreshments

Welcome from UCL

Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam will deliver the keynote address, reflecting on his experiences as Deputy Chief Medical Officer during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the importance of clear, evidence-informed public communication. What can we learn from the Covid-19 pandemic about how scientific evidence can inform policy professionals, and enable clear, accurate public information? What were the issues that the government needed to take into consideration when delivering briefings to the public, and how can policymakers ensure that people have the right level of information at the right time? As the Covid-19 inquiry continues to examine the role of pandemic preparedness, what lessons have we learned that can inform and shape future emergency planning, and enable future crisis response teams to be better prepared?

Keynote address

The panel discussion will hear from experts from across a range of disciplines, including Professor Susan Michie (UCL Centre for Behaviour Change), Professor Jack Stilgoe, (UCL Science and Technology Studies), Professor Alice Roberts (University of Birmingham),  Dr Cath Haddon (Institute for Government) and Dr Philip Ball (Nature). What has the Covid-19 pandemic revealed about how people behave during times of crisis, and how can our experiences help inform and refine pandemic planning? The panel will take a wide-ranging look at both the pandemic but also thinking ahead to future emergency situations more broadly, to consider the role of evidence, technology and academic insight in improving public communications and emergency planning across government, public services and civil society.