The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the urgent need for efficient and effective communication and collaboration processes between the five systems science/ education, politics, economy, the media-based and culture-based public as well as the natural environment of societies. The SARS-CoV-2 virus assaulted the world suddenly, and the COVID-19 disease became a pandemic within three months after the discovery of the first case in China. As a consequence, the high infection rate had an impact on communication processes between all systems. Especially during the first wave of the pandemic, the information needed in society was extraordinarily high because many people were afraid and scared. Politicians sought the newest developments and results in the virology research in order to decide meaningful measures like curfews and lockdowns. In addition, the public was concerned about the health, economic situations and education of their children. Next, the economy struggled with the development of vaccines and mask supply. Finally, the scientific community, especially virologists, faced the new situation that they had to execute their research under public observation. In distinction to the so-called ‘swine flu pandemic’ in 2009/2010, the communication processes during the COVID-19 pandemic were highly performed via social media platforms and smartphone devices.

On the other hand, effective collaboration processes between all five systems are vital for the combat of the pandemic. The prerequisite for sustainable development in common is the inclusion of the media-based public in knowledge exchange processes at an early stage. But the mobilisation of the public for collaborative activities is difficult in many cases. Although the societal threat of the pandemic was ubiquitous, public engagement with science was quite limited. For instance, the voluntary usage of contact tracing application apps was in many countries not high enough that the data could be effectively used for scientific research. Many questions are still unanswered. For example, how can we increase public engagement in science processes during pandemic times? What is the impact of media platforms on pandemic communication processes? Which patterns of misinformation could we identify during the COVID-19 pandemic? Which measures are needed to improve the protection of vulnerable groups including children, women, and ethnic minorities? How can we avoid that regulations do not snooker urgently needed development processes? How are health data in pandemic times processed and protected?

The international PandeVITA conference “Sustainable collaboration processes in pandemic times” will be executed as the final event of the Horizon2020 project PaneVITA funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101006316). The conference wants to bring together academicians and practitioners to discuss approaches, results and experiences in the context of sustainable knowledge exchange from different perspectives. Papers from all disciplines and systems are welcome which contribute to better preparedness for the next pandemic, and beyond.

Deadline for abstract submission: April 30, 2023
Accepted papers will be published in an international proceeding book.