La Conversa is the new Catalan edition of The Conversation, a platform that spans the gap between university research and public discourse at a global level. With this launch, Catalan is now fully integrated into an international ecosystem for science communication with a strong social impact.

The Conversation is a non-profit media initiative, established in Australia, which publishes articles written by researchers and edited by specialised journalists. Its aim is to make academic knowledge accessible to the public through clear, understandable texts grounded in scientific data. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons licence, allowing free reuse by media around the world and significantly extending its reach.

The international scale and impact of The Conversation are undeniable: the platform draws thousands of readers worldwide every month and has become a global benchmark for science communication, thanks to its network of international editions and active researcher involvement. This global reach shows that science, when communicated with rigour and clarity, can engage broad and diverse audiences, transcending borders and languages.

This launch brings Catalan into a prestigious global network that reaches thousands of readers every month and bridges the gap between university research and the public through specialised journalism.

In this context, La Conversa was created to showcase research conducted in Catalan, facilitating its transfer to society and linking it to the major scientific, social, cultural and economic challenges of our time. Thanks to this initiative, the knowledge produced in universities and research centres extends beyond the realm of academia, fostering a society that is better informed, more critical and more committed to scientific thought.

For the research community, publishing in La Conversa also represents an opportunity for visibility and recognition. Contributions are published under the authors’ names, linked to their home institutions and hosted on a well-established international platform. This enhances the value of the articles as evidence of knowledge transfer and social impact – factors which are becoming increasingly important in academic career assessments.

Each week, La Conversa will feature original Catalan-language articles authored by local researchers, in addition to selected translations of articles from other international editions of The Conversation. This combination helps provide local insights and a global outlook, while also bringing research produced in Catalan to an international audience, as the content may be shared and disseminated across the platform’s other editions.

With this launch, La Conversa positions itself as a key platform for communicating research in Catalan, reaching a global audience and strengthening the presence of academic knowledge in today’s public discourse.

The Catalan edition is spearheaded by the Vives University Network, with the participation of the following universities:

• University of Alicante (UA)
• Universitat d’Andorra (UdA)
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
• Abat Oliba CEU University (UAO)
• University of Barcelona (UB)
• University of Girona (UdG)
• University of the Balearic Islands (UIB)
• Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona)
• Universitat Jaume I (UJI)
• University of Lleida (UdL)
• Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
• Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
• Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
• Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
• Universitat de València (UV)
• University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)

The project also receives support from the Ramon Llull Institute, the Ramon Muntaner Institute and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), with additional cooperation from the Government of Catalonia, as part of an institutional partnership dedicated to knowledge transfer, the promotion of Catalan in scientific contexts and its international visibility.