Science and Society: The Future Social Contract

Scientific systems are under growing pressure to redefine their role in society. From mission-oriented research and industrial partnerships to demands for academic freedom and bureaucratic constraints, expectations are multiplying. Building on the German Council of Science and Humanities’ 2040 perspective, the exchange explores how the social contract between science and society is evolving—and what it takes to make it operational in practice across institutions, funding systems, and governance structures.