How do we practice STS in Germany? Which are the different scholarly fields doing STS in this region? How do these relate to each other and which topics stimulate joint interdisciplinary and integrated STS research? Which institutions and actors participate in German STS research communities? To explore such questions, we initiate STS-hub.de, a series of meetings in the form of ‘hubs’ that aim to connect existing STS networks, associations, research groups and individual scholars. While we recognise several international fora, such as EASST and 4S, we miss a regional opportunity for scholars strongly linked to and affiliated with the German academic system, which may shape STS research in unique ways.
Against this background, we organise a pilot STS-hub.de and schedule it for March 15th–17th 2023 at the Human Technology Center in Aachen (www.humtec.rwth-aachen.de). The theme is circulations (see abstract below). We invite proposals for open as well as closed panels. Note, if you propose an open panel, be prepared to organise your own process of selecting panel participants. If you would like to contribute, please send a panel proposal (preferably as plain text file, 300-500 words, plus 80 words biographical note on each contributor) by June 30th 2022 to programme@sts-hub.de.
Proposals should approach circulations from a multidisciplinary perspective. Recognising that science-technology-society relations have also been studied in the humanities & arts, social, natural, medical sciences and engineering, we welcome joint proposals that build bridges between STS scholars and researchers who draw on roots in academic disciplines and fields in the wider landscape of Wissenschaft. We invite you to engage with STS-hub.de as a space for both – facilitating panels based on paper presentations as well as experimenting creatively with the format of your panel. For instance, practice workshops, artistic exhibitions, explorative outdoor tours, and other interactive session formats are possible. If you like to suggest an experimental format, please specify your idea briefly in your proposal.
You can find the complete version of the call here. And click here to get to their website.