Making science communication persuasive and engaging

Several years ago, I was sitting in the office of the Dean of Studies with some fellow undergrad students. We had complained about the loveless way some professors handled their teaching duties. The situation got so bad that most students turned to teaching themselves, with as few as two out of 80 students attending some lectures and seminars. The Dean had a peculiar way of comforting us: ‘It doesn’t matter what we teach you; it doesn’t matter what you learn here; in the end, you will have the great name of our university on your CV, and that will get you a job.’ More than 20% of the students left for another university at the end of the semester.