ComSciCon France: the scientific communication workshop returns to Université Paris-Saclay

Doctorate Article published on 25 June 2025 , Updated on 25 June 2025

This article was originally published in L'Édition n°27.

On 25, 26 and 27 June, Université Paris-Saclay will host the sixth ComSciCon France event, a workshop designed to introduce PhD candidates to scientific communication. Over three days, they will take part in practical workshops, discussion sessions and a writing exercise to develop their skills in scientific popularisation and outreach. 

Three days to dive into the world of scientific communication. This is the programme that awaits forty PhD candidates on 25, 26 and 27 June 2025 at Lumen, on the Saclay plateau. Five years after it was first held in 2020, ComSciCon France is back at Université Paris-Saclay. "ComSciCon is a workshop designed to teach PhD candidates how to share science," explains Arthur Michaut, postdoctoral researcher and co-founder of ComSciCon France.

He discovered the ComSciCon concept while working on his thesis in the United States in 2017. This event had been launched five years earlier by students from Harvard University, Colorado Boulder University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "The original idea was to organise a practical conference in scientific outreach and communication techniques for PhD candidates." When he returned to France in 2020, Arthur Michaut decided to found the French branch, along with four other science enthusiasts. The event sold out in its very first year. "The first two workshops in September 2020 and 2021 were held at Université Paris-Saclay, the first in person and the second by videoconference due to the Covid-19 pandemic," he recalls. "The idea is to hold the event at different universities. In previous years, we've been to Marseille, Nancy and Lyon. But we're delighted to be back at Université Paris-Saclay." 

© ComSciCon France

This sixth ComSciCon France is supported by the Diagonale - the arts, culture, science and society department of Université Paris-Saclay - and the Lumen team. "The Lumen is a venue dedicated to scientific culture and events. And we have plenty of space available: an auditorium, cubicles, an open space, and more. It therefore seemed the perfect place to host the next ComSciCon," explains Éléonore Pérès, Head of Scientific and Cultural Outreach projects at Lumen and responsible for scheduling events at the venue. 

A programme focused on practical applications

Once again this year, the ComSciCon France team has put together a top-notch programme for the Class of 2025. "We don't want to present a plenary conference with lots of people. Our aim is for the programme to focus on practical workshops, project sessions and time for discussions with speakers specialising in scientific communication," emphasises Arthur Michaut. During this year's event, participants will have the chance to try their hand at outreach using comic strips, or to take part in a "mini hackathon", i.e. to design a small project in a very short space of time, within set constraints.

As in previous editions, a "publithon" is also on the programme. In advance of the event, PhD candidates are asked to write a popular science article based on a scientific publication. The article is then sent to proofreaders, who correct it and give feedback to the novice journalists at ComSciCon. "It's an excellent exercise that introduces participants to journalistic writing and teaches them concepts that can be used all the time, not just for written scientific popularisation," says Éléonore Pérès, who is also Editor-in-Chief of Papier-Mâché, a website that makes scientific publications accessible to the general public, and who has taken part in several events. 

© ComSciCon France

The three-day workshop will feature a debate about the scope of entertaining formats for popularising science, as well as a keynote speech on the accessibility of scientific communication for people with disabilities. 

Motivation, a selection criterion for participants

The workshop is open to all PhD candidates, but places are limited. Faced with the flood of applications - for the 2025 event, the organising team received almost two hundred - motivation is a decisive selection criterion. "There are only forty places, so we really want super-motivated people to attend the event," confirms Arthur Michaut. "We also try to vary the disciplines and people's experience in scientific outreach, so that there is a mix of profiles."

Across its five events, some two hundred students have attended ComSciCon France, which has involved over 80 scientific communication professionals. And the experience seems to be bringing results with some participants having published popular science articles, produced videos and launched podcasts. Others have joined the ComSciCon France organising team for one or more events. "Every year, the team is replaced with new people," enthuses Arthur Michaut. To continue encouraging the sharing of science. 

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This article was originally published in L'Édition n°27.
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