Victoria Shennan

Victoria Shennan is the Head of the Berlin School of Public Engagement and Open Science, based in the Public Engagement and Impact Unit at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. She leads the School’s work to strengthen the field of public engagement in Germany through training, professional community building, and research. Her focus is on evidencing the value of engagement for individual researchers and institutions, while supporting the cultural and structural changes needed for it to become a recognised and embedded part of the research system. She develops programmes that bring researchers, the public, policymakers, and other stakeholders into dialogue, fostering mutual learning and societal impact.

Prior to this, she was Citizen Science Programme Coordinator at the Natural History Museum in London, where she developed and delivered national public engagement, community science, and educational programmes with partner institutions across the UK. With an academic background in art and design, Victoria has significant experience in leading interdisciplinary engagement initiatives, co-creating participatory formats such as festivals, large-scale collaborative projects, and immersive exhibitions with researchers and community partners.

Her work centres on building infrastructures for participation and collaboration, connecting practice and research, and supporting professionals and researchers to engage confidently and sustainably with society.