Coming up – volTA magazine

New horizons

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:44:34 +0000

PACITA’s 2nd European TA Conference, The Next Horizon of Technology Assessment, will include 35 sessions on topics covering: Human Cognitive Enhancement, Responsible Research and Innovation for Energy Transitions, Ageing Society, Energy from the Earth, Chances and Challenges of Deep Geothermal Energy, Big Data as a TA issue, TA in e-infrastructures, Towards Robust Decisions in Energy Policy, Dilemmas of Digital Democracy, Horizon Scanning: Give Parliaments the long view, Science Journalism, and others.

PACITA 2nd European Conference
Berlin, Germany, 25-27 February 2015

Citizens and climate change

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:24:08 +0000

On 6th June, 2015, starting in the Pacific region and ending on the west coast of America, thousands of citizens will participate in the global citizen consultation, World Wide Views on Climate and Energy. After receiving unbiased information and material, citizens will debate the issues and express their views on 30 questions, the results of which will be relayed online.

WWVs on Climate and energy will be held six months before the climate change conference, COP21, in Paris. Fundraising for the coordination costs is ongoing.

World Wide Views on Climate and Energy, 6 June 2015

Science for policymakers

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:20:03 +0000

This two-day seminar organized by the Fellowship for Evidence Based Policymaking together with the Rathenau Instituut, the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) and the Graduate School of Public Policy of the University of Tokyo provides an opportunity for senior level researchers who are involved in research, policy and politics to engage with high-level scientists, policy makers and directors of advisory bodies to exchange insights about evidence-based policy making. Participation fee is euros 500.

Scientific evidence never comes alone
Brussels, Belgium, 9 and 10 February 2015

Better Technologies with no Regrets?

admin — Thu, 08 May 2014 14:49:36 +0000

The Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies (S.NET) holds its sixth annual meeting at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany in September. It will address nanoscale science and engineering, biotechnology, synthetic biology, neurotechnologies, cognitive science and geo-engineering from responsible research to governance and politics.

S.NET 6th Annual Meeting, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany, September 21-24, 2014

Science and wonder

admin — Thu, 08 May 2014 14:47:30 +0000

The 2014 World Science Festival comes to Amsterdam in September in partnership with the city of Amsterdam and other prestigious local partner organizations. WSF presents compelling educational and entertaining science events that capture the excitement and wonder of science, as well as the great potential that science offers for addressing the critical issues facing our communities today.

World Science Festival Amsterdam, Netherlands, 6-7 September 2014

Building bridges in Cophenhagen

admin — Thu, 08 May 2014 14:43:50 +0000

‘Science building bridges’ is the theme of EuroScience Open Forum 2014 (ESOF2014) in June when Copenhagen will welcome 2,300 visitors from 40 countries including superstars from the world of science. The exhibition, conference, ambitious Science in the City outreach festival, and the special area for students – ESOF Academy – make it a truly cross-cutting and multidisciplinery event.

Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark, 21-26 June 2014

Inscription to the 2nd European Summer School on Technology Assessment

admin — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 12:55:44 +0000

The second European Summer School on Technology Assessment (TA) is going to be held from the 18th until the 20th of June 2014 in the city of Cork (Ireland).

The event is organised in the framework of the PACITA project around three days of cutting edge training, practical exercises, mutual reflection, and networking – all focused on TA in relation with the underlying theme of ageing societies and the role of technology.

The Summer School will bring together various stakeholder groups from around Europe and who have an interest in learning more about TA, its methods, and its tools for reflection and problem solving. It is of particular interest to stakeholders from policymaking, policy advising, academia, industry, civil society, and the media.

Attendance at the Summer School is free of charge. In addition, the organisers will provide complimentary transport and catering during each day of the event. A limited number of scholarships for travel expenses are available to qualifying individuals.

If you wish to participate, please send your CV and short motivation letter, 300 words maximum, to Dr. Ciara Fitzgerald, before the 15th of February 2014. In total, 35 participants will be selected, including 20 of whom will be allocated attendance scholarship attributions. All participants will receive materials in advance. Participants will also get a formal certificate of attendance to the Summer School. Notification of acceptance and attribution of scholarships will be communicated by the 15th of March 2014.

Alexander von Humboldt Lectures

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:11:54 +0000

Science in/and/for Society

The Alexander von Humboldt lectures, an initiative of Prof. Huib Ernste, take place from September 2013-January 2014 and are run by the Department of Human Geography, Spatial Planning and Environmental Politics at Radboud University, Nijmegen. In addition to the lectures, the program includes preparatory reading groups, seminars and science café events.
The overall theme is Science in/and/for Society.

Alexander von Humboldt Lectures
Nijmegen, Netherlands, September 2013-January 2014

Edinburgh Science Festival

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:07:25 +0000

‘Science at the heart of things’ is the theme for one of Europe’s largest science festivals. In 2013 there were 220 events attracting over 90,000 visitors and speakers included Professor Peter Higgs (predictor of the Higgs bosun particle) and Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer (of CERN). The full program of events will be announced in February 2014.

Edinburgh Science Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland, 5-20 April 2014

EU-SPRI Conference 2014

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 16:04:27 +0000

Where do policies come from?

The research agenda and its ‘Dynamics, Challenges, Responsibility and Practice’ is the focus of this conference including
the creative review of approaches and assumptions reaching the limits of their utility. Session proposals in science, technology and innovation policy studies should be submitted by November 5 to siobhan.drugan@mbs.ac.uk.

EU-SPRI 2014, Manchester UK,
18-20 June 2014