Dr. Helen Fischer as Visiting Professor for the Winter Semester at the KIT

On 26 October, Dr. Helen Fischer began her visiting professorship at the Zentrum für Angewandte Kulturwissenschaft (ZAK) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with an inaugural lecture entitled "Knowing what you don't know or: What climate change has to do with psychology". In her talk, the IWM scientist explored the psychological mechanisms behind differing opinions on the politicised issue of climate change.

The aim of the visiting professorships at the ZAK, which are funded by the Quality Pact, is to strengthen the link between science and society. Dr Fischer, who has been a member of the IWM’s Perception and Action lab since 2022, fits in perfectly with the programme's aims. This initiative seeks to stimulate and empirically explore discussions on the role of science, research and knowledge transfer in society. Dr Fischer's research focuses on the role of metacognition – the awareness of one's own knowledge limitations - in shaping beliefs about politically charged scientific issues, such as climate change or COVID-19. Expressing her enthusiasm, Dr Helen Fischer remarked: "I am delighted to be able to contribute to the advancement of research and teaching on the role of science in society".