Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Communication of R+D+I
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English,
Teaching staff
Questions will be resolved before or after class. Any questions from online students will be answered by videoconference.
Introduction
The course addresses the dissemination of R&D&I from the perspective of scientific communication and corporate communication in the biomedical field. It analyses the different contexts in which research and innovation results are communicated, ranging from academic and professional settings to institutional and social environments, with an emphasis on adapting messages to different audiences and objectives. It also examines the regulatory frameworks, good practices, and ethical principles governing communication in the biomedical sector.
Within this framework, the course contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDGs 3, 9, 10, 12, and 17, through the analysis and application of scientific and corporate communication strategies. By promoting rigorous, ethical, and audience-adapted communication, the course fosters the quality and transparency of health information, responsible innovation, equity in access to information, and the strengthening of relationships among the various stakeholders in the R&D&I system.
Pre-course requirements
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation module.
Objectives
● Explain the specific features of communication in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors, both in scientific communication and corporate communication.
● Explain the different stakeholders in the biomedical and pharma environment (scientific community, regulators, healthcare professionals, patients, investors, media, and employees), adapting messages to each of them.
● Promote the use of scientific and corporate messages that are consistent with the organization’s strategy, the regulatory framework, and the ethical principles of the sector.
● Foster the interpretation, synthesis, and communication of scientific results in a rigorous manner, using different formats for dissemination, diffusion, and outreach.
● Explain how reputation management and communication are handled in crisis situations, including scientific controversies, misinformation, and reputational risks.
● Encourage the use of basic scientific and corporate communication tools in real-world contexts, such as publications, oral presentations, media relations, social media, and internal communication.
● Explain the link between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and scientific and corporate communication, especially in relation to transparency, responsible innovation, and equity in access to information.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN14 - Identify the principles of biomedical sciences related to health, as well as the basic concepts and tools that have an impact on Biomedical Sciences and allow them to work in any of its fields (biomedical companies, bioinformatics labs, research laboratories, clinical analysis companies, etc.).
- CP05 - Apply biological foundations in the search for practical solutions to health problems, following ethical standards and scientific rigour and respecting fundamental equal rights between men and women, and the promotion of human rights and the values inherent in a peaceful society of democratic values that includes inclusive, non-discriminatory language without stereotypes.
Learning outcomes of the subject
● Critically analyse situations and cases in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields from the perspective of scientific and corporate communication, identifying audiences, objectives, and regulatory and ethical constraints.
● Communicate scientific and corporate information in a rigorous and accessible manner, adapting language, format, and channel to different audiences and contexts.
● Develop basic scientific and corporate communication proposals that are consistent with the organization’s strategy and the regulatory framework of the biomedical sector.
● Apply responsible communication criteria to prevent misinformation, address scientific controversies, and manage situations involving reputational risk or communication crises.
● Integrate principles of sustainability, transparency, and social responsibility into scientific and corporate communication, linking communicative practice to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Syllabus
INSTRUCTOR INTRODUCTION
STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS: why they chose this course; whether they are interested in scientific communication; what they would like to work on in the future
COURSE PRESENTATION: general objectives, competencies, assessment method
WHY DO WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE SCIENCE?
BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY OF SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION IN THE BIOMEDICAL INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA
DIMENSIONS OF SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION
● Dissemination
● Diffusion
● Outreach
PRACTICAL CASE: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
● Verbal communication and structure
● Non-verbal communication
● Practical exercises
INSTRUCTOR INTRODUCTION
STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS: why they chose the business track; whether they changed their mind during the degree; what they would like to work on in the future
COURSE PRESENTATION: general objectives, competencies, assessment method
INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
● What is a brand
● Practical oral exercises
● What is corporate communication
● Differences from marketing and scientific communication
● Key elements of communication
● Strategic communication: alignment with business objectives
● Communication departments in the biomedical sector
SCIENTIFIC DISSEMINATION. SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION SYSTEM AND POSTERS
● Scientific publications
● Posters
MC: PRACTICAL CASE: EXPLANATION OF THE FINAL ASSESSABLE PRESENTATION: interpretation and presentation of a scientific article
● Visual support tips for presentations
● Poster design tips
● Distribution of articles for coursework
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES (I): MEDIA
● Effective communication
● Alignment with business objectives
● Corporate identity and reputation
● Regulation of the pharmaceutical sector
● External communication channels
● Working with the media
MC: Assessed practice 1: writing a press release
TOPIC 3 – Scientific CommunicationCONFERENCES AND OPEN SCIENCE
MC: PRACTICAL CASE: SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT CASES
Assessed practice 1: summary of a misconduct case, explanation of the misconduct, and measures taken. Debate
CORPORATE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES (II): SOCIAL MEDIA
● Why social media in pharma?
● Types of social media
● Understanding the algorithm
● How to develop a social media strategy
MC: Assessed practice 2: preparing social media content
TOPIC 4 – Scientific CommunicationTYPES OF SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES
● Tips for writing articles
● Tips for reading articles
MC: PRACTICAL CASE: Assessed practice 2: creation of a graphical abstract based on a scientific article. Title rewriting
TOPIC 4 – Corporate CommunicationHOW TO DEVELOP A CORPORATE COMMUNICATION PLAN
TRENDS IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
● ESG and sustainability as a communication axis: from business to purpose (link between companies and the SDGs)
● Transparency and compliance culture
● Fighting fake news
● Visible leadership and humanization
● Storytelling
SCIENCE JOURNALISM
MC: GOOD PRACTICES IN SCIENCE JOURNALISM
● Writing a headline for a journalistic article based on a press release
● Debate on key elements of excellent science journalism
STORYTELLING IN CORPORATE COMMUNICATION
BASIC GUIDE TO PUBLIC SPEAKING
● How to prepare a speech
● How to engage your audience
● How to strengthen your message
● Verbal language
● Non-verbal language
DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
● News sections
● Blogs
● Social media
● Press conferences
● Radio or TV interviews
MC: Review of the assessed presentation: interpretation and presentation of a scientific article
TOPIC 6 – Corporate CommunicationCRISIS COMMUNICATION
● Types of crises in pharma (safety, quality, reputation, ethics)
● Fighting fake news
● Principles of crisis communication
● Crisis communication plan: offline/online
● Spokespersonship and decision-making
Assessed practice 3: response to a communication crisis
TOPIC 7 – Scientific CommunicationFORMATS FOR SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION
● Comic
● Infographic
● Podcast
MC: PRACTICAL CASE: Assessed practice 3: explaining the mechanism of action of a drug or a pathological process through an infographic
TOPIC 7 – Corporate CommunicationINTERNAL COMMUNICATION
● What is internal communication
● Importance of strategic internal communication
● Alignment with external communication
● Internal communication tools
● Essential during periods of change
Assessed practice 4: communicating an organizational restructuring
TOPIC 8 – Scientific CommunicationAssessed practice 4: scientific interview in a media context
Storytelling in science: examples
Pseudoscience. Debate
Science outreach
Citizen science
Key figures in science outreach
Career paths in SciComm
INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE: PUBLIC SPEAKING
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course is delivered entirely in a face-to-face classroom format. The structure of the sessions consists of 2 hours of scientific communication and 2 hours of corporate communication. Each session includes 1 hour of lectures: a 50-minute presentation of a theoretical topic by the instructor, and 1 hour of practical exercises (Case Method, CM).
Lectures (20 h): presentation of a theoretical topic by the teaching staff.
Case Method (CM) (20 h): presentation of a real or hypothetical situation. Students work on the proposed questions in small groups or through active interaction with the teaching staff, and the answers are discussed collectively. The instructor intervenes actively and, when necessary, provides additional knowledge.
Virtual Education (VE): online materials that students can consult from any computer at any time, contributing to self-directed learning of the concepts related to the course.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
First sitting:
100 points for scientific communication and 100 points for corporate communication. Both marks will be averaged at 50% and distributed as follows:
● Attendance is not compulsory but is assessed (0.5 points per hour of attendance): maximum 10 points
● Participation in class discussions: maximum 20 points
● Practical assignments (x4): 40 points (10 points per assignment)
● Final project / Final presentation: 30 points
To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum of 50 points in each of the two components in order for the final average to be calculated.
In the second sitting and subsequent sittings (up to a maximum of six), the continuous assessment mark will be retained. Assignments may receive a maximum grade of 8 out of 10 in the second or subsequent sittings.
Working in groups of two, three, or four students, four assessed exercises will be completed in each area (Corporate Communication and Scientific Communication), as well as a final project or presentation for each area.
General considerations regarding the assessment system
Attendance at lectures and case method sessions is not compulsory; however, in-person attendance will be assessed. In case of late arrival, students must enter quietly, without disturbing or interrupting the class.
Class participation is understood as the contribution of relevant ideas or the posing of pertinent questions that help improve the quality of the session, both in lectures and in case method sessions.
Bibliography and resources
• Què és la comunicació científica? Judith Licea i Miguel Arenas. Palibrio, 2016
• Cultura visual i coneixement científic. Comunicació Transmèdia de la ciència. Francisco J. López Cantos. UOC, 2017.
• Per què la comunicació en salut és important? Avanços i recerca. Aranzadi. 2019.
• Com divulgar ciència a través de les xarxes socials. Javi Polinario. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
• El lladre de cervells. Pere Estupinyà. Debolsillo, 2021.
• Championing science. Communicating your idees to decision makers. Roger D. Aines i Amy. L. Aines. University of Califòrnia Press, 2019.
• Codi de Bones Pràctiques de la Indústria Farmacèutica, 2021. www.codigofarmaindustria.org/servlet/sarfi/codigo/codigo.html
Evaluation period
- E2 02/07/2026 A10 18:00h