Research area
Dr. Hildrun Walter
Hildrun Walter studied plant sciences at the University of Graz and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. After working for two years as a research associate at the Technical University of Munich, she began her doctoral studies at the Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Graz, which she successfully completed in 2016.
She found her way into science communication during her work as a mediator at the Botanical Garden of the University of Graz from 2013 to 2016. After a parental leave, she started in project management at the 7th Faculty in 2018 and was able to move into research in 2019.
Research focus
Hildrun Walter’s research focuses on evaluating strategies and formats of science communication in informal and non-school contexts. She is particularly interested in their potential to evoke emotions and foster interest in science. In addition, she works at the interface between science communication and teaching and learning research, for example on interest development, methods of knowledge transfer, and the perception of science and research.
In recent years, Hildrun Walter has been active in the field of open science and in promoting participatory approaches in research. Within the framework of an EU project, she collaborated with international partners to develop a position paper on open science for the Arqus university alliance. This initiative led to the creation of the Arqus Open Science Ambassador Network, in which she is actively involved.
Since 2021, she has also served as the academic director of the course Corporate Communication at UNI for LIFE at the University of Graz.
Involved third-party funded projects
Conference: Focus on SciComm: Conference on science communication in Austria (24.09.2022)
Project management: Fritz Treiber
Funding organisations: Province of Styria, City of Graz and University of Graz
Project duration: 01.01.2022 - 22.12.2022
University Alliance: Arqus Research and Innovation
Project leader: Mireille van Poppel
Call for proposals: "Support for the Research and Innovation Dimension of European Universities", Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2020 (SwafS)
Funding organisation: European Commission
Project duration: 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2023
Discussion forum: How disinformation is shaking democracy: Development of a future-oriented discussion forum with citizens on the regional and European effects of fake news and disinformation (31 May 2021)
Project management: Thomas Gremsl and Hildrun Walter
Call for proposals: "Funding for European projects and Styrian foreign relations 2021", European project: Fake news and disinformation in the EU
Funding organisation: Province of Styria
Project duration: 01.03.2021 - 30.09.2021
University Alliance: Arqus - European University Alliance
Project management: Martin Polaschek
Call for proposals: Erasmus+ Programme, Key Action 2 (KA2)
Funding organisation: European Commission
Project duration: 01.10.2019 - 30.09.2022
Current publications on the topic of science communication
Jungwirth, Helmut; Hildrun, Walter
V-Blogs: Wie kommuniziere ich Wissenschaft?
In: Ferz, Sascha; Sonnleitner, Karin (eds.): Communicating - Intervening - Co-operating: Social-communicative start into the profession. Graz. Unipress-Graz (2024), DOI: 10.25364/920.2024.1
Walter, Hildrun; Jungwirth, Helmut
Wie Digitalisierung die Kommunikationsrolle von Hochschulen auf den Prüfstand stellt.
In: Claudia von der Linden (Hg.): Digitale Transformation an österreichischen Hochschulen. Graz. Verlag der Technischen Universität Graz. (2023), DOI: 10.3217/978-3-85125-966-7-08
Walter, Hildrun; Kremer, Kerstin
Scientific Knowledge.
In: Philipp, T.; Schmohl, T. (eds.): Handbook Transdisciplinary Learning. Bielefeld. Transcript-Verlag. 339-348 (2023).
Jungwirth, Helmut; Walter, Hildrun
Zeitenwandel - Eine Geschichte der Wissenschaftsvermittlung.
In: Thinking + Believing. 204 (2023)
Walter, Hildrun; Beranek-Knauer, Heide; Eder, Lucas; Jungwirth, Helmut
Discourse-orientated framing as a tool for raising awareness among students on the topic of antibiotic resistance.
In: Ludwigsburg. VBIO: Herausforderung Zukunft. Abstractband. Internationale Tagung der Fachsektion Didaktik der Biologie (FDdB). 2023
Beranek-Knauer, Heide; Walter, Hildrun; Paleczek, Dominik; Eder, Lucas, Jungwirth, Kerstin; Jungwirth, Helmut
Discourse-directed framing as communication strategy alters students' concept of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance formation.
In: International Journal of Science Education. 10.4. 2020. 319-334. DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2020.1844921
Walter, Hildrun; Jungwirth, Helmut
Naturwissenschaften bekömmlich servieren - Geschmackslabor als innovatives Format in der Weiterbildung.
In: Weiterbildung: Zeitschrift für Grundlagen, Praxis und Trends. 6. 2018.
Further publications
Kaier, Christian (co-lead); Walter, Hildrun (co-lead); Belaën, Florence; Boukacem-Zeg-hmouri, Chérifa; Díaz Urrutia, María; García Gil, María Angeles; García Sánchez, Pablo; Herbet, Marie-Emilia; Medzvieckaitė, Gintė; Ostrop, Jenny; Strømme, Tormod Eismann; Voigt, Pia; Weiner, Barbara; Zorzi, Michela; Apostolico, Mauro; Aubert, Yves; Juodė, Eglė; Le Bahers, Tangui; Mantelli, Barbara; Romero-Frías, Esteban
Arqus Openness Position Paper.
Zenodo (2022). doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5881903
Arqus Research and Innovation, work package 6 (Co-Lead)
Toolbox on Open Research Agenda Setting.
Arqus Alliance (2021). bit.ly/4dKzT9q
Arqus Research and Innovation, work package 6 (Co-Lead)
Recommendations on Open Research Agenda Setting.
Arqus Alliance (2022). bit.ly/4fQdn0U