Professor John Mathews presents ‘Negotiating science and politics’, on Monday 20 October from 12pm to 1pm.
In our rapidly changing world, important decisions have to be made at the interface between science and politics.
The dilemma for society is that the more important the decision, the less likely we are to be able to base it on good evidence. This can create perverse incentives for scientists, politicians and bureaucrats, and even lead to decisions which are not in the public interest.
At a more mundane level, evidence-based decision-making is influenced by sectional and economic interests, providing ample scope for political compromise.
Professor John Mathews is Professorial Fellow with the School of Population Health, University of Melbourne.
This seminar takes place in the Menzies Seminar Room, John Mathews Building, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus.