The inaugural autumn conference of the Institute of Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC), held on October 1st, featured Joan Subirats, Professor of Political Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and former Minister of Universities. The event, held in Córdoba, analyzed the relationship between scientific knowledge and evidence in public decision-making.
During the meeting, moderated by the director of IESA-CSIC, Ana M. González Ramos, the current scenario marked by uncertainty, the complexity of social challenges, and disinformation was discussed. Subirats highlighted the increasing difficulty in building shared public spaces for deliberation on collective problems, as well as the fragmentation of public space and the spread of disinformation, which hinder societies' capacity to address challenges requiring collective responses.
The professor recalled that this situation is compounded by challenges such as the climate crisis, technological transformation, and difficulties in accessing basic rights like housing. These factors, according to Subirats, test institutions' ability to meet citizens' expectations. He emphasized that democratic legitimacy is not limited to election moments but is also linked to institutions' capacity to address social needs and demands.
The event was attended by various personalities from the academic and scientific fields, including the rector of the University of Córdoba, Manuel Torralbo Rodríguez; the general director of the Technological Park of Córdoba (Rabanales 21), Eva Pozo; the general director of Scientific Infrastructure of the University of Córdoba, Manuel Sánchez López-Berges; and the professor of Sociology at the University of Córdoba, David Moscoso.
