Short Abstract:

This roundtable invites STS scholars across the world to discuss their motivations, strategies, and challenges of building STS networks in their region.

Long Abstract:

In December 2023, the STS India network organized its inaugural in-person workshop. More than 80 participants from across the country, of whom at least half were doctoral researchers, participated in this workshop, with further participation from the Indian STS diaspora during one of the workshop panels. We hope to sustain the momentum generated by the workshop, with plans underway to host regular virtual reading groups, a writing workshop, an annotated bibliography, and an annual conference through which a community of STS scholars in India can cohere.

Efforts to build STS networks have also been ongoing in several other parts of the world. Some of these efforts have been underway for some time now, such as those in Latin America and East Asia, and have resulted in the establishment of prominent STS organizations and journals. Others, such as those in Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey, have brought together a lively community of STS researchers. In this roundtable, we invite conversations aimed at sharing motivations, strategies, and challenges that have animated the development of STS networks across the world. We hope to learn from experiences of building STS networks in diverse locations and explore how different STS networks can collaborate with and support each other.