Trust and Truth – How They Impact the Complex Relationship between Science and Society

Ana Mari CAUCE & Yves FLÜCKIGER (eds)
The Glion Colloquium, Volume N° 15, Geneva (2026)

The 2025 Glion Colloquium examined how universities can protect trust and truth in an ever-changing world. The theme, Trust and Truth – How They Impact the Complex Relationship between Science and Society, highlighted their interdependence: truth needs trust to remain socially legitimate, and trust needs truth to be grounded. The credibility and impact of science depend on this balance.

In the age of AI, universities were urged to serve as moral compasses, ensuring that truth is guided by human judgment rather than algorithms. Although AI can enhance analysis, it lacks the ability to reason ethically; only humans can define meaning, values, and responsibility.

Building trust begins with inclusion, transparency, and spaces for open dialogue. Universities must engage communities externally through citizen science and shared knowledge creation. Trust grows through lived experience, ethical leadership, and genuine collaboration. The Colloquium emphasized the need for stronger dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and the public.

Universities must promote inclusive, ethical, and transparent research and train scientists to communicate effectively. A renewed mission centered on students as citizens links education to democratic participation. To model a pluralistic and open society, universities must embody the values they teach.

In a fragmented world, universities must lead with courage, clarity, and integrity. They must combat misinformation, guide society through today’s challenges, and earn trust daily through honest, inclusive, and purposeful actions. Trust and truth are not inherited – they must be lived.