Eleventh Nature Marsilius Visiting Professorship: Vanessa Vu
In a world gripped by war and crisis, uncertainty is on the rise, with many looking to science for guidance. How scientists can contribute to public opinion-forming in times of global crises is the central theme of the current Nature Marsilius Visiting Professorship for Science Communication, which Vanessa Vu will hold in the 2025/2026 winter semester.
With KTS funding, experts are invited to impart in a specialised programme what constitutes high-quality reporting on scientific work and findings. At the same time, they are encouraged to initiate a broad-based discussion on new forms of exchange between science and the public.
With the establishment of the professorship, the three partners hope to sharpen awareness of the growing importance of good science communication. The visiting professorship is intended to aid society in shaping the future through science in the face of increasingly complex research.
A champion of excellent science communication and quality journalism is usually appointed as a guest professor each semester. Along with the furtherance these aims, young researchers are also trained to better communicate their research and findings to the public. The Nature Marsilius Visiting Professorship is located at the Marsilius Kolleg of Ruperto Carola, which serves as a bridge between the scientific cultures in Heidelberg.
Vanessa Vu is a journalist working at the intersection of storytelling, art and science. She studied anthropology, international law and Southeast Asian studies before joining ZEIT ONLINE in 2017 as a political editor. In 2019, she moved to the feature section X, where she focused on longreads. Since 2025, she has been a reporter for ZEIT’s Dossier. She previously co-hosted the Vietnamese-German podcast “Rice and Shine” and the talk series Klassenzimmer at the theater Schaubühne Berlin. She is a frequent voice in public debates and cultural discourse.