Note: This workshop will exceptionally NOT be held at VU university, but at an alternative venue.
Bushuis/Oost-Indisch Huis, Kloveniersburgwal 48, Room F.001

Closed workshop by the critical infrastructure lab and REDE (Rede de Pesquisa em Governança da Internet)

The aim of the symposium is to explore what comes next in internet 9:45governance (IG) as a field of inquiry. The proposal is motivated by the perception that the practice of IG has changed considerably since the beginning of the internet, amplifying the historical challenge to define the borders of IG studies. More importantly, we ask how the technical discussions in IG can increasingly dialogue with critical perspectives that de-center western interpretations, center the people and invisible actors, and expand the variables of analysis to include gender, race, ethnicity, disability, the global South, and non-humans in their core. Anti-colonial, anti-racist, anti-fascist, deep ecological, long-durée historical and political economical perspectives are examples of approaches that IG as a discipline has resisted more than other areas to adopt in its representative studies providing an empirical examination of governance mechanisms. The goal of the symposium is, first, to frame the technopolitics of the internet and its governance using more plural and inclusive paradigms, and second, to situate IG studies in view of quick technological transformations within and on top of its infrastructure. In order to reflect and act on these limitations, we call on IG scholars and scholars from adjacent and intersecting disciplines to collaboratively and intentionally shape the field more broadly contributing to a critical turn in internet governance.

Questions: symposium@criticalinfralab.net 

Aurora (HG-0C29), Main building

ECR workshop session

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-02A36)

East Asian Science Technology and Society journal editorial meeting

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-08A33)

Meet the editorial team of Science, Technology, & Human Values!

Join the Managing Editor and Editors of Science, Technology, & Human Values (ST&HV) at the EASST-4S meeting!  Considering submitting to ST&HV? Curious about editorial processes or the journal's vision? This session is your chance to connect directly with the editorial team! Come along for an informal discussion and gain valuable insights about publishing with ST&HV.  Whether you're a seasoned scholar or a early career researcher, we encourage you to attend and ask questions!

Feminists In Science and Technology Studies (FiSTS) Research Community Meet-up

This meet-up is meant to facilitate networking, brainstorming, and conversations among members of or potential members of the FiSTS group. We conceive of this group broadly. Please, come join us. What programming would you like to see for the community in the coming years? What other ideas, accomplishments, or concerns do you have to share with the community?

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-07A32)

Forging Connections: Middle East STS Meet-Up

This Meet-Up is dedicated to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among STS scholars within the Middle East region. Given the grand societal challenges we face, connecting regional academic communities to share insights and engage in collective research endeavors becomes all the more vital. The establishment of STS Türkiye in 2017, now standing at 450 members, signifies an exciting momentum for a deepened STS network in the region. In this session, we aspire to host STS researchers and practitioners to ponder current projects, collaborations, and future directions of STS within the Middle East. Our objective is to identify shared research themes, discuss the nuances of cross-regional collaboration, support emerging scholars, and debate ways to elevate the visibility and impact of Middle Eastern STS research. We invite scholars who have engaged in scholarly work in or about the region, and all those studying STS from within the Middle East context, to join us. We hope to engage with a broad array of perspectives and to incite a constructive discourse that taps into the region’s diverse expertise. Please consider this call to connect and contribute to a vibrant discussion that celebrates our unique regional STS landscape.

12:45 - 13:45 (Auditorium, main building)

Meet-Up for National STS Associations

An invited meet-up for people who are (or have been) actively involved in organising national STS associations in Europe, to discuss activities to develop stronger links between EASST meetings. If you would like to attend, please email s.desaille@sheffield.ac.uk or r.williams@edinburgh.ac.uk to be placed on the list. 

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-05A33)

Book launch "Transdisciplinary Research, Sustainability and Social Transformation" by Tom Dedeurwaerdere, Routledge

Book launch: "At the End of Property: Patents, Plants and the Crisis of Propertization" by Veit Braun

Ever-new things are being turned into property, from data ownership to national control over genetic resources. At the End of Property explores this phenomenon in plant breeding, revealing how plants have been legally and materially transformed into property. Examining property not simply as a legal concept, but as a bundle of laws, practices and technologies, it shows how the ongoing expansion of ownership threatens the seed industry and the institution of property alike.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-08A33)

Transforming Chemistry and Society in STS? Open exchange and networking

The aim of the meeting is to 1) bring together the collective expertise and engagement in this area gathered at EASST/4S, 2) share empirical findings, and 3) identify common issues and concerns. This could include STS research and perspectives on current scientific advances in chemistry, new modes of chemical production, the chemistry of energy transitions, the exploration of new resource bases and the creation of new industrial value chains and circular economies, as well as public engagement with chemistry. Following the critical assessments of existing chemosocialities (Shapiro & Kirksey 2017) and alterlives (Murphy 2017) by STS researchers, we aim to jointly explore the molecular basis of 21st century cultures and societies. Contact persons: Nona Schulte-Römer, Patrick Bieler, Janine Hauer and Jörg Niewöhner.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-06A32)

“Decolonizing Data Infrastructures” meetup

This meetup convenes a group of STS scholars engaged in critical data studies across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With the growing emphasis on decolonization in AI and data to reshape global approaches and practices of responsible and inclusive innovation, there is an urgent need to explore different regionally-informed understandings of decolonization and alternative approaches to technoscientific imaginaries and understandings of datafication and resistances to it. This gathering aims at cultivating a scholarly network and fostering a community around the project of “Decolonizing Data Infrastructures”. Key agenda items at the meeting include potential publication projects, the development of a community teaching syllabus and readings list, and planning for future conferences and workshops centered on the theme. The meetup builds on the momentum of the 4S 2023’s “Decolonizing Data Infrastructure” panel series, and remains open to anyone interested in network building and sharing ideas dedicated to AI and data studies in global contexts

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-02A00)

Reaching new audiences through interactive multimedia publishing

This meet-up is for creating links between publishing and gamification. For STS researchers who want to reach new audiences and bridge the gap between academia and other sectors of society, there is an alternative to one-way dissemination: interactive publishing in the form of Serious Games. A Serious Game is played not for entertainment but for learning, awareness raising, enabling collaboration, etc. The game format gives audiences an interactive experience with the research material. Using tried-and-tested game templates, research can be turned into a playable format without needing any expertise in game design. Another option is to work with students or other groups on creating games themselves using templates. Whether playing or creating a Serious Game, the process is engaging, interactive, and creates a non-threatening environment where people from different backgrounds can all participate. This approach is particularly useful for working with diverse audiences and cross-sectoral groups.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-06A00)

Pathways of STS in South Asia: where we came from and where we can go

The meet-up envisions bringing together scholars and researchers from South Asia to weave together possibilities for building a collaborative framework for future STS research in the region. Rich scholarship in science and technology studies has emerged from South Asia over the last few decades and has significantly contributed to how we now understand and critically imagine the socio-political reality around us. However, we still seem to situate ourselves in fragments, often lacking a formal community to channel and stabilize our scholarship. To this end, a group of academics in India have begun the efforts to establish an STS Network to bring together STS scholarship from and about India. We think it is crucial to also establish a larger network for the South Asian region that can provide a space for meaningful collaborative research, organizing events, and sharing knowledge from the margins.  Building a vibrant community that addresses not only the unique transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research from different domains that have emerged from South Asia in the past but also discusses the possibilities of fruitful collaboration in the future is the goal of this meet-up. 

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-07A32)

Meet the Editors of Catalyst 

Meet-up with the Editorial Team of Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience. Whether you're curious about submitting to the journal, seeking tips on the peer review process, or just wondering how the journal is run, our editorial team is here to answer your questions. Expect an informal conversation and a supportive community eager to help you amplify your research. Don't miss this chance to demystify the publishing process and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about the field of feminist STS!

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-08A20)

Editorial board meeting of New Genetics and Society

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-07A33)

Meet the Editorial Team of Science & Technology Studies!

Science & Technology Studies, the Diamond Open Access official journal of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) published by The Finnish Society for Science and Technology Studies, invites you to join our editorial team for an informal discussion. This session offers a unique opportunity to learn about the journal’s vision, the submission process, and the intricacies of our editorial work. We will also explore the future of Open Access publishing, the evolution of the journal, and commemorate our 35 years of history as a journal. Whether you have specific questions or just want to learn more, we welcome your participation!

12:45 - 13:45 (Theater 2, NU building)

Knowledge of AIDS Research Collaboration Network and friends

This meet-up will convene members of the “Knowledge of AIDS” Research Collaboration Network (RCN) and friends of the RCN. All 4S/EASST attendees with interests in building community around HIV/AIDS scholarship in STS are invited and encouraged to attend. The Knowledge of AIDS RCN is funded by the STS Program within the United States National Science Foundation, led by Co-PIs David Ribes, Marika Cifor, Stephen Molldrem, and Andrew Spieldenner. The RCN is a three-year effort organized around the themes of “the archive,” “expertise,” and “participation” in the history of HIV/AIDS. The network focuses on building the transnational community of scholars in STS who study the HIV/AIDS epidemic in North America and its global relations. In the first year, we are exploring the “Archive of AIDS” theme, which encompasses the historical, sociocultural, and technological aspects of archiving HIV/AIDS-related materials and the cultural memory of the pandemic. The meet-up will serve as a space to make introductions, have discussions about current trends and future directions for HIV/AIDS scholarship in STS, and to build community and mentorship opportunities around these topics. Learn more about the RCN at KnowledgeofAIDS.net or by attending this meet-up.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-01A33)

STS in education (STudieS) meet-up, with keynote given by Sergio Sismondo

The STudieS network (https://stsinfrastructures.org/content/studies-sts-education) is holding its yearly meeting at the EASST conference. The one-hour session is an excellent opportunity to get to know and network with educational scholars that employ STS insights. Sergio Sismondo will kick off our meet-up and will discuss with us, over lunch, various research orientations, research questions, and focal challenges that STS in educational research could (and should) take up in the future (see under). During the event, moreover, we will further discuss the thematic lines of the network, planned and ongoing publications, and future meetings. 

STS for Education? Principles and tensions

Sergio Sismondo, Queen’s University, Canada

In this talk I set out some overlapping principles and sensibilities that have animated research in STS. Starting with the innocuous principle that knowledge is constructed — which has an equally innocuous analogue in Education research — I articulate the immense value of these ideas in STS, and some practical tensions that arise if they are too-simply applied in Education.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-06A00)

STS Food and Agriculture Network (STSFAN)

STSFAN is an open network for STS scholars interested in food and agriculture topics to network, share work in progress, and collaborate. We have ongoing, monthly meetings via zoom and an active Slack channel. All are welcome to join us for an informal meet-up and planning and netowkring session.

12:45 - 13:45 (HG-02A00)

U.S. National Science Foundation outreach meet-up - learn about NSF funding opportunities

This is an opportunity to learn more about funding opportunities available at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The aim of this Meet-up is to raise awareness in the research community about various NSF funding opportunities and it provides an opportunity to get to know the Science and Technology Studies (STS) Program at NSF and its Program Directors. Program Directors will also be available for Q&A.

12:45-13:45 (Forum 3, main building)

Science as Culture advisory panel

Art Science Dialogue: Let's Work

Speakers:

Jorrit Paaijmans, Artist

Margarita Boenig-Liptsin, Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zurich

Makoto Takahashi, Athena Institute, VU (Chair)