STEP - Science and Technology in the European Periphery

Call for Papers

Scientific Knowledge and the Transgression of Boundaries- International Graduate Summer School

August 27 -- 31, 2012, San Sebastian, Spain

Lecturers: Steve Fuller, Markus F. Peschl, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger and Hans-Peter Schütt

Discussants:Fabrice Pataut, Hannot Rodriguez, Judith Simon

Important Dates

Abstract Submission (participation with an individual presentation): May
18^th 2012

Abstract Submission (participation only): May 25^th 2012

Notification of acceptance: June 15^th 2012

Full Papers (participation with an individual presentation): August
1^st 2012

Please see our Homepage at www.itas.kit.edu/summerschool2012
for further information and
the preliminary programme.

From 27 to 31 August 2012, the /Institute for Technology Assessment and
Systems Analysis (KIT/ITAS) /will be organising an International Summer
School for PhD students in partnership with the /Logic and Philosophy of
Science Department at the Universidad del Pais Vasco (UPV)/ in San
Sebastian, Spain. The Summer School is part of the XXXI summer courses
and XXIV European courses of Donostia-San Sebastian.Under the scientific
supervision of Bettina-Johanna Krings (KIT/ITAS) and Professor Andoni
Ibarra (UPV), the subject of the Summer School will be: "Scientific
Knowledge and the Transgression of Boundaries"

Subject

New scientific findings challenge not only societies but also the
sciences themselves to come to terms with the new knowledge. While the
previous boundaries of scientific knowledge are overcome (e.g. decoding
the human genome), each expansion of our knowledge brings with it new
limits that lead to delineations of boundaries both within and outside
the particular discipline concerned. These recurrent redefinitions of
boundaries have marked the entire historical process of scientific
development, for example in the form of scientific and technical
/achievements/. However, these achievements are not only celebrated as
milestones of acquired progress, but in many cases they also lead to
fierce dispute in society due to their ambivalent and complex effects on
social processes.

Whether in the fields of the life sciences, emerging technologies or
brain research, in recent times scientific discoveries have given rise
to social doubts and uncertainties, questioning the boundaries in the
relations between man and nature and redefining and re-examining the
problems of the changing role of science and technology in the dynamics
of social progress. This social effect is expressed in the increased
demand for the application of a code of ethics in these fields. At the
same time, an effect of transgression and removal of existing social
boundaries is under way, as can be seen, for example, in the debate on
the use of service robots in the care of senior citizens.

The aim of the International Summer School is to study the changes in
the social role of science and technology in modern societies and to
analyse these changes from a variety of specialised perspectives and
disciplines by using the two metaphors of "definition and transgression
of boundaries". In this context, papers from a sociological,
philosophical or historical perspective are welcome as much as concrete
examples from the various disciplines in the natural or engineering
sciences addressing the following *questions*:

·What basic epistemological conditions can be established for the
transgression/definition of boundaries in science?

·Where can we see manifestations of (new) definitions of the boundaries
at the interfaces of science, technology and other social fields? What
are the social effects of these shifts in boundaries?

·What methodological approaches can be applied to identify and measure a
change in the role of scientific knowledge?

·What stances and behavioural patterns are adopted by the scientific
institutions and actors in the social and disciplinary boundary fields?

·What social problems point beyond specialised disciplinary boundaries
today?

·Which empirical objects of research cannot be addressed in a
disciplinary procedure?

Papers are requested from students investigating these questions in
their PhD projects.

/
/

/Concept and Venue/

The Summer School provides PhD students with the opportunity to develop
their projects in an intensive working atmosphere and in an
international context. Three formats will be used: "Lecture",
"Individual Presentation" and "Workshop". At the same time, San
Sebastian provides participants with the opportunity for a week of
relaxed interchange, discussion and networking with experienced
scientists and other PhD students.

·"Lecture": Established scientists will present their basic positions in
lectures. For a list of professors who have agreed to give lectures, and
the lecture subjects, please visit our website

·"Individual Presentation": This format consists of a 30 minute paper,
in which PhD students present their project to the plenum. A senior
scientist will provide comments on the presentation, on the basis of a
previously submitted paper, and the presentation will then be discussed
in the plenum. PhD projects presented in this framework should already
be in an advanced stage.

·"Workshop": In the workshop, problems of relevance to the work of the
PhD students will be addressed and discussed in small groups. Each group
will be chaired by a scientist with practical experience in the relevant
field. In this intensive format, the students will be able to submit and
discuss their own concrete problems.

The language of the Summer School is English. On successful completion
of the Summer School, the graduate will receive a certificate of attendance.

/Registration/

The Summer School is open to PhD students at various stages of progress
on their dissertation project, and offers two forms of participation:
graduates may take part either in combination with a proposed individual
presentation or without their own presentation.

·To apply for _participation with individual presentation_, please send
us, at the latest by May 18^th 2012, an abstract of max. 3000
characters outlining your PhD project and in particular the background
to the problem discussed, research questions as well as the methods and
theoretical approaches to be adopted, together with a CV. Participants
are expected to submit a full paper by August 1^st 2012.

·To apply as _participant without individual presentation_, please send
us, at the latest by May 25^th 2012, an abstract of max. 1500
characters briefly outlining your PhD project, together with a CV.

Please send your suggestions to anna.schleisiek@kit.edu
. Applicants will receive notification
of acceptance by June 15^th 2012.

Participation in the course is free of charge.Unfortunately, the
organisers cannot cover any travel or accommodation costs. We would like
to draw your attention to national sponsorship institutions like the
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in the case of Germany, who
offer training course scholarships for students. Please contact your
university's international office for further information on
scholarships available in your country.

Please circulate this CFP among your colleagues and phd-students.

--
Judith Simon
ITAS - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
(Senior Researcher)
Department of Philosophy - University
of Vienna (PI: Epistemic Trust in Socio-Technical Epistemic Systems
)
Institut Jean Nicod
- Ecole normale
supérieure - Paris (Associate Post-doctoral fellow)