Author: John Wilkins

Site admin.
Posted on

HPS&ST Note June 2017

The June HPS&ST Note is on the web at:
http://www.idtc-iuhps.com/hpsst-note.html

CONTENTS
  • Introduction
  • 2017 IHPST Biennial Conference, Ankara July 4-7, 2017
  • Education Papers at the Division of the History of Science & Technology (DHST) 25th International Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 23 to 29 July 2017
  • British Society for the History of Science, Annual Conference, July 6-9, 2017
  • epiSTEME 7: Seventh international conference to review research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, 5-8 January 2018
  • British Journal for History of Science, Book Reviews
  • LSE Lakatos Awards
  • Translations of HPS and Science Teaching Book
  • Opinion Page: What’s Wrong with HPS and What Needs be Done to Put It Right? (Nicholas Maxwell)
  • Recent HPS&ST Research Articles
  • Recent HPS&ST Related Books
  • Coming HPS&ST Related Conferences
Posted on

International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Actors and Implementation
What kind of interaction and collaboration is required between the various actors (governments, businesses, third sector and academic institutions) to promote sustainable development?

How can universities, through knowledge, training and scientific research, contribute to the achievement of sustainable development?

What policies should cities and states deploy in order to meet global challenges at a local /regional scale?
These and other questions will be analyzed and discussed during the International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals: Actors and Implementation, to be held on the 18th and 19t September 2017 in Barcelona.

This leading Conference aims to create a permanent and multidisciplinary knowledge network on the implementation of the SDGs, where all stakeholders will learn from each other: universities, governments, cities and public and social agencies.

The Conference will count on more than 40 speakers from around 20 countries that will exchange knowledge, ideas, experiences and expectations around the challenges involved with the SDGs. Through a combination of keynote presentations by renowned experts, round tables and parallel sessions, the Conference wants to open a debate among the different stakeholders on solutions for a sustainable development to transform society at local and global level.

Check out the Conference website to find out more about the programme, speakers and practical information.
Register before June 21st and benefit from the early bird rate.
Register here!
Posted on

May HPS&ST Note

The May HPS&ST Note is on the web

CONTENTS:

  • Introduction
  • 2017 IHPST Biennial Conference, Ankara July 4–7, 2017
  • British Society for the History of Science, Annual Conference, July 6–9, 2017
  • epiSTEME 7: Seventh international conference to review research on Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, 5–8 January 2018
  • Fourth Asian HPS&ST Conference, Hualien, Taiwan, Nov. 21–23, 2018
  • Opinion Page: An Interview with Mario Bunge, Heinz W. Droste
  • Recent HPS&ST Research Articles
  • Recent HPS&ST Related Books
  • Coming HPS&ST Related Conferences
Posted on

Contours of the future: Technology and innovation in cultural context

International Conference

1 – 3 November 2017, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

www.futurecon.ru

For postindustrial societies the future has turned into a space of risk and
construction of expectations. The future exists in the present as a discourse and rhetoric, as a competition of visions and agendas that shape the potential of future innovations. Scenarios of the future are transformative since they direct scientific practices, influence political and economical decisions, and focus stakeholders’ interests.

The conference will highlight processes of knowledge production about technologies of the future as a central sociocultural aspect of technological development. The participants are invited to consider the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries (Sheila Jasanoff) as a set of cultural practices applied by communities in order to construct shared meanings of desired futures - and to reflect on the role of technology in them. These practices involve not only experts such as scientists and engineers, but also politicians, public intellectuals, writers, journalists, artists. Success of innovations and the design of particular technologies depend on the cultural legacy shared by these people, as well as detailed consideration of social, legal, ethical and aesthetic aspects. This perspective emphasizes the ways through which technologies and societies are co- constructed, and how cultural meanings and power relations are embedded in science and technology.

To discuss these questions we invite theorists and practitioners whose work touches upon sociocultural aspects of technological change, including the fields of media and arts, foresight and policy, philosophy and cultural studies, history and sociology, linguistics and communication.

The conference welcomes papers that address the following topics:

  • Philosophy of science and technology: The future as an epistemological problem, philosophy of technological utopias
  • Methods of future studies: STS (Science and Technology Studies), sociology of expectations, sociotechnical imaginaries; forms of “working with the future” through foresight, strategic planning, scenarios analysis, role playing
  • The language of technical change and futurology, history of concepts, descriptions of the unknown
  • Sociology of innovation: The politics of the production of novelty and relevance; social and psychological aspects of information and communication technologies as sites for imagined interactions
  • Ethical aspects of emerging technologies: Bioethics, roboethics, information ethics
  • Aesthetic dimensions of technological change: Science art, news media; representations of science and technology in literature and art, visual images of the future
  • Cultural history of technology: Technology and national identity; technologies as media of cultural transfer; sociocultural aspects of users’ interaction with technology; appropriation and domestication of novel technologies
  • Digital Humanities: Making the human past fit for future generations
  • Archives of the future: Historical experience of forecasting and designing the future, museum exhibits, industrial heritage, industrial archaeology, buried and forgotten futures

Publication: Conference materials (short papers and extended abstracts) will be published prior to the conference.

Working languages of the conference are English and Russian.

Participation in the conference is free of charge.

Organizer: Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University http://english.spbstu.ru/university/

Co-organizer: Society for the History of Technology http://www.historyoftechnology.org/

To apply:
  • Send an application to futurecontour@gmail.com containing the title of the paper and your personal data (name, surname, institutional affiliation, telephone, and e-mail) by 1 July 2017. Participants will be notified on the status of their application by 15 July 2017.
  • Full text (10000 to 20000 printed characters) should be sent before 10 September 2017, tables and illustrations may be attached if needed.
Contact information:

Address: Politechnicheskaya street, 29, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 195251

Telephone: +78126037347

E-mail: futurecontour@gmail.com

Coordinator: Natalia Nikiforova, Assistant Professor of the School of Social Sciences, Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University

Posted on

Assistant/Associate Professor – Wageningen

Assistant Professor / Associate Professor Knowledge, Technology and Innovation (tenure track)

Published on May 10, 2017
Location Wageningen
Scientific field Agriculture

We are looking for

We are looking to appoint an ambitious, innovative and collaborative scholar to join a thriving group researching and teaching at the interface of Knowledge, Technology and Innovation.

The Knowledge, Technology and Innovation group is a new configuration that aspires to be 'the place to be' for engaged international scholars and students who are passionate about understanding and influencing the complex relations between knowledge, new and emerging technology, social processes and materiality. Through our work we seek to enhance reflexivity in science, contribute towards making processes of technical and social innovation more responsible, responsive and democratic, and thus support the 're-configuration' of societal discussions, interactions and outcomes. Our research aims to achieve impact, particularly in relation to global challenges, such as food security, poverty, health hazards, inequality, environmental degradation, climate change, technological controversy, conflicts and scarcity of resources.

We ask

The successful candidate will:

  • Have a PhD in a relevant social science or interdisciplinary field of study;
  • Be a recognised expert in one or more fields of: science and technology studies, innovation studies, development studies, transition studies, anthropology, sociology, political science, communication sciences;
  • Hold an excellent publication record relative to his or her stage of career;
  • Possess the capacity or potential of acquiring, leading and managing externally-funded research projects;
  • Be an inspiring teacher and student supervisor with enthusiasm for teaching and working with students in an international setting;
  • Have a broad understanding and appreciation of different theoretical and methodological traditions in our field of study;
  • Be committed to achieving societal impact in relation to global challenges;
  • Enjoy a collaborative orientation and possess good management skills.

We offer

We offer talented scientists a challenging career trajectory (Tenure Track). From the position of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor you can grow into a Full Professor holding a Personal Chair. Your track record will determine if you enter the tenure track system at the level of Assistant or Associate Professor.
Training and coaching opportunities are provided and interdisciplinary (international) cooperation is stimulated. You will also be given the chance to build up your own research line.

As we will only be selecting outstanding candidates to take part in Tenure Track, this will be a good stepping stone to a further career within Wageningen University and Research or elsewhere.

We offer you a temporary contract for 0,8 - 1,0 FTE, with a possibility of extension if the tenure track criteria are met. Gross salary for an Assistant Professor: from € 3.427 to € 5.330 per month and for Associate Professors from € 4.749 to € 6.349 per month based on full time employment (38 hours a week) and dependent on expertise and experience.

Besides a competitive salary, we offer several additional benefits, such as an end-of-year extra month salary, a holiday allowance, and a pension plan with the Dutch pension fund for government and education ABP. Applicants from abroad moving to the Netherlands may also qualify for a special tax relief, in which 30% of their salary is exempt from tax.

More information

For more information please contact Prof. Cees Leeuwis via cees.leeuwis@wur.nl or +31 317 484310.

You can apply online at http://www.wur.nl/en/Jobs/Vacancies.htm or at Academic Transfer, until June 4, 2017, (24.00 hours local time).

All applicants are invited to submit a cover letter, foregrounding their research and teaching expertise and their suitability for the job, plus a curriculum vitae. In addition we request a 2 page vision document identifying how the candidate sees their research and teaching developing in the coming years.

We are

Wageningen University & Research
The mission of Wageningen University & Research is 'to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life'. Wageningen University & Research focuses on the domain of 'healthy food and living environment'. We do not just develop top-quality expertise, we also help translate our knowledge into practice worldwide. That is why we do fundamental research all over the world. We also train professionals who, in the near and distant future, will discover breakthroughs in science and technology. We are ranked among the top international universities in the field of life sciences. Our education programme has been graded for twelve years in a row as the best in The Netherlands.
Posted on

Lecturer, Birbeck

Lecturer B in History of Science and Medicine

Birkbeck, University of London - Academic

Location: Bloomsbury

Salary: £42,913 to £50,514

Hours: Full Time

Contract Type: Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed on: 3rd May 2017

Closes: 1st June 2017

Job Ref: 12191

★ View Employer Profile

The Department of History, Classics and Archaeology (HCA) invites applications for a Lectureship in the History of Science and Medicine. We seek to appoint an outstanding scholar working on any aspect of the field, but the appointee should also have wider teaching competency in modern (post-1800) British history. Applicants must have completed a doctorate in History or appropriate similar field, and they should have a research record that shows clear evidence of outstanding potential to contribute to the national and international profile of the Department.

HCA has a longstanding commitment to research-led teaching. Experience of lecturing and conducting seminars at undergraduate level is required, but experience in teaching and supervising research at MA level is also desirable.

The successful candidate will engage in scholarly research and publication; take responsibility for organisation, supervision and teaching in the broad field of the history of science and medicine (including direction of the History of Science and Medicine MA programme); contribute to teaching and supervision in modern British history at undergraduate and postgraduate level; and participate in Departmental, School and College administration as required.

HCA has a long and distinguished record as a centre of research and teaching excellence. In the REF 2014, HCA was ranked seventh among all History departments in Britain (Times Higher Education research intensity table), with 85% of its research portfolio deemed ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. In accordance with its commitment to excellence in research and teaching across broad temporal and geographic ranges, an exceptional candidate will be appointed to this full-time, four-year fixed-term post in the History of Science and Medicine, to begin on 1 October 2017.

For further information about the Department, please visit www.bbk.ac.uk/history

Further Information

Salary: Grade 8 of the College's London Pay Scale which is £42,913 rising to £50,514 per annum.

This post is full time, 35 hours per week (1.0 FTE) and fixed term for four years. The salary quoted above is on the College's London Pay Scale and includes a consolidated Weighting/Allowance which applies only to staff whose normal contractual place of work is in the Greater London area. The initial salary will be dependent on the skills and experience of the successful applicant. The appointment is subject to a probationary period of three years. Birkbeck also provides a generous defined benefit pension scheme, 31 days paid leave, flexible working arrangements and other great benefits.

The closing date for completed applications is midnight on Thursday 1 June 2017.

Interviews will be held within week commencing 12 June 2017.

For further information on this opportunity contact Dr Frederick Anscombe, Assistant Dean (Email:f.anscombe@bbk.ac.uk). A link to the PDF document containing the job description and person specification is below.

Birkbeck welcomes applicants from all sections of the community. The College is committed to improving the gender and cultural persity of its workforce, holding an Athena SWAN award and membership of WISE, operating the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer schemes, is a Stonewall persity Champion and is working towards the Race Equality Charter Mark.

Posted on

Teaching Fellow, UCL

Teaching Fellow in Philosophy of Science, Ref:1645177

UCL Department / Division: Science and Technology Studies

Grade: 7

Hours: Full Time

Salary: (inclusive of London allowance) £37,936 - £41,163 per annum

Duties and Responsibilities

UCL Department of Science & Technology Studies (STS) is an interdisciplinary department active in teaching and research in contemporary science and technology studies (including (a) science policy and governance, (b) communication, engagement, and evaluation, and (c) sociology of science), and integrated history and philosophy of science.

The department seeks to appoint a Teaching Fellow to cover teaching in the 2017-18 session. The post must be taken up by 19 September 2017 and ends 10th June 2018. It is not renewable and it is not subject to extension.

The main duties of the post will involve teaching undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the subject area, undertaking project supervision as agreed, completing marking for these modules in a timely fashion, undertaking administrative and pastoral duties associated with the modules, and contributing to the academic life of the department.

The specific modules assigned to this post will be:

  • HPSC1003 Philosophy of Science 1
  • HPSC3020 Philosophy of Natural Sciences
  • A Master's level module in philosophy of natural sciences, of the tutor's own design.

Key Requirements

The successful applicant(s) should hold a PhD in an appropriate subject area, or otherwise show significant professional development in the area of subject to be taught. Near completion of a PhD thesis is acceptable, provided the candidate can demonstrate significant expertise in the subject of the module. A HEA-accredited teaching certificate in higher education, or equivalent is desirable. They are expected to have an integrated approach to science and technology studies and to be capable of teaching undergraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds. The primary criterion for appointment to the post is evidence of teaching excellence in the area of the appointment.

Further Details

A job description and person specification can be accessed here. To apply for the vacancy please click on the ‘Apply Now’ button.

As part of the application, candidates may submit one sample syllabus from a module either previously taught by themselves or proposed for teaching within STS, plus a statement of their pedagogy.

Two letters of academic recommendation will be required for candidates who have been shortlisted.

For enquiries about the substance of the position, please contact Professor Joe Cain, Head of Department, UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies - sts-hod@ucl.ac.uk

For enquiries about the application process, please contact Ms Lori Coletti Campbell, Department Manager - sts-vacancies@ucl.ac.uk

Closing Date: 27 May 2017

Latest time for the submission of applications: 23:59

Interview date: Week Commencing 5 June

This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Support Staff.

Please use these links to find out more about the UCL Terms and Conditions related to this job, employee benefits that we offer and further information about UCL.

Teaching Fellow in Philosophy of Science - Job Description / Person Specification

Posted on

Biotechnological Frontiers for Politics and the Life Sciences

Call For Papers

Special Issue On ‘Biotechnological Frontiers’

Guest Editors:  Margaret E. Kosal & Amy L. Fletcher

Recent biotechnological innovations raise critical questions of politics, science communication, technology policy, ethics, and governance. The range and spectrum of possible technologies and actors are expanding. Among the most recent addition to the genome-editing arsenal is CRISPR, a bacteria-derived system that is among the simplest genome-editing tools and more efficient than previous DNA editing techniques. Other techniques, like those for chromosome conformation capture, such as Hi-C, facilitate the assembly of an organism’s genome and was recently used with the Zika virus. Better understanding of how these emerging biotechnologies intersect with political entities, institutions, frameworks, and theories is needed.

Papers and extended abstracts are now being accepted on these and related topics for a special themed issue on Biotechnological Frontiers for Politics and the Life Sciences, an interdisciplinary journal published by Cambridge University Press. Papers and extended abstracts accepted for the issue will be published in the journal. Authors will also be invited to present their papers at a workshop to be held at Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA) in Fall 2017.

Manuscripts for the special issue may analyze recent biotechnological innovations and their relation to politics from observational, experimental, content analytic, comparative case studies, network analysis, or other empirical frameworks. Empirically-based theoretical work is also welcome. All methodological approaches are welcome. Suitable paper topics might include but are not limited to:

  • Cellular agriculture and the future of food;
  • Gene-editing and its use in human health and medicine;
  • The use of synthetic biology and gene editing in biodiversity conservation;
  • Case studies of controversies arising from the use of these new tools;
  • Comparative analysis of governance and regulatory models, including arms control;
  • Ethical, legal, and social implications of gene-editing and new biotechnologies;
  • Intellectual property issues and patent disputes in the biotechnological sector;
  • The role of the mass media in framing biotechnological issues and innovations;
  • Implications for international, transnational, regional, or national security;
  • Institutional or organizational politics related to innovation of emerging biotechnology;
  • Expert inquiries, public consultation, and legislative initiatives.

Proposals, in the form of extended abstracts, should be at least 1,500 words and include details on methodological approach(es). Contributors submitting full papers should submit original research manuscripts that are 7,500–12,000 words. Initial submission may use any recognized citation style, but final accepted papers must conform to Chicago style.

SUBMISSION

The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 September 2017. Submitted papers will be blinded reviewed and must not have been published elsewhere. Please submit manuscripts, preferably in MS Word or pdf format, to Guest Editors Drs. Margaret E. Kosal (margaret.kosal@inta.gatech.edu) and Amy Fletcher (amy.fletcher@canterbury.ac). Queries may be addressed to either guest editor.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-the-life-sciences