Public engagement in more populist times (1/2)

How did public engagement develop and how can it cope with rising populism? In the first of two essays based on his speech to the Association of Research Managers and Administrators, Research Fortnight editor Ehsan Masood looks into the past.

Public engagement has a long backstory. It is approaching industrial scale, now, with many more of us in the field. Yet public engagement continues to face challenges, not only here in Europe but also worldwide. 

At one level, our policymakers have supposedly had enough of experts, with trust in expertise at its lowest since the 1990s.