"Trust in scientists", the study covering 67 countries ranks Albania last. What are the reasons? 

Faith in science and scientists was at the center of a study of nearly 240 scientific researchers from different countries of the world. In this regard, Albania ranks last next to Bolivia and Kazakhstan for trust in scientists. The researcher for Albania, Ani Bajrami, told the Voice of America that the causes are related to the shortcomings in communication between scientists and the public, as well as their low participation in the drafting of various policies in the country with an impact on social life. Citizens in this study have expressed that they would like a greater influence of scientists to reduce poverty and improve the quality of health.

In a study directed by two professors Dr. Viktoria Kologna and Dr. Niels G. Mede respectively from the University of Harvard and Zurich for public trust in science and scientists, Albania ranks last for trust in scientists. The study was extended to 67 countries of the world, and analyzed the responses of nearly 71,500 individuals, where 1 point is the lowest rating and 5 is the highest. At the world level, trust in scientists results according to this study to 3.62.

Albania ranks next to Bolivia and Kazakhstan for low trust in scientists. Egypt and India have the highest level.

Among the 239 scientific researchers of this study were Ani Bajrami and Renata Tokrri from Albania. They supported the results for Albania based on data that was obtained from a group of nearly 340 individuals of different educational and age categories and levels. The collection of data for Albania was financed by the "Aleksandër Moisiu" University in Durrës.

For Voice of America Ani Bajrami, lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, at the University of Tirana, analyzing the findings of this study for Albania, underlines the reasons for the low trust of Albanian citizens in science and scientists.

"From the explanations we were able to give in the article, scientists in Albania do not realize two important links in the scientific process, communication with the public about scientific results and their active participation in policy-making", said Ani Bajrami, lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences , UT.

After the results of the study, the researchers of each country independently work out the reasons for the ranking of their countries. For this reason, there is currently no data on why Egypt and India are ranked first for the high degree of trust in scientists.

In the comments about the study, scientific researcher Ani Bajrami singles out the danger that people's opposition to science brings.

"Here I bring as an example the case of distrust towards the anti-Covid-19 vaccine in a pandemic or climate change. This antagonism with science puts the individual's life at risk," continued Ani Bajrami, lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, UT.

The study on the degree of trust in science and scientists, both at the world level and in the case of Albania, points out that the vast majority of citizens would like an active participation of scientists in issues that concern them.

"Albanian citizens want an active participation of scientists, especially in those issues that concern them such as reducing poverty and improving the quality of health", said Ani Bajrami, lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, UT.

Another aspect of the study is related to the fact that the majority of citizens do not want scientists to have an influence on military technology. This can be explained by the actuality of wars in the world and the dramatic consequences on the population.

The article on the level of public trust in science and scientists has been published in the database of unpublished scientific articles, and in May, the full data is expected to be published in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Data.

Based on the study, according to the scientific researchers, the good news for the future is that on a global level, trust in scientists is over 50%./ VOA