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CALL FOR TRACKS: STS NL Conference, April 15-17, 2026, University of Twente
Knowledge & Technology in Times of Global Shifts
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The call for tracks for the STS NL Conference to be held April 15-17, 2026 at
the University of Twente will open soon!
The conference is the first of a series aimed to create a vibrant platform for
researchers interested in Science and Technology Studies, whether they are
based in the Netherlands or abroad. The conference is organized by the
Netherlands Research School for Science, Technology and Modern Culture
(WTMC) and hosted by the Knowledge, Transformation &
Society (KiTeS) Group of the University
of Twente. The conference will be held onsite at our green university campus
in Enschede, and it will be preceded by an early stage researcher event on
April 14.
Conference theme: Knowledge & Technology in Times of Global Shifts
While the STS field is expanding globally and the central role of knowledge
and technology in global and local socio-political dynamics is more apparent
than ever, the status and legitimacy, the modes of production, their use and
instrumentalization are at the same time contested and disparate. Global
crises - climate, biodiversity, (geo)political, energy, raw materials, and
many more - are proliferating as well, but they are also controversial and
unfold against global shifts and uncertainties in centres of power, economy
and global relations. It has been a topic of debate whether STS, with its
dedication to detailed, local studies, is well equipped to account for global
dynamics. At the same time, it is exactly the openness for the unexpected, for
considering processes at different scales, for dynamics of coproduction, that
may be a crucial asset. The sensitivity for more or less hidden forms of
power, for considering technoscience as agential beyond solutionism, for
diverse ways of thinking, making and doing, and for studying the non-obvious
can provide a productive angle on shifts, opening up relevant action
repertoires. We invite participants to reflect on these shifts, their
implications, and how STS scholars can relate to them, be it for science and
technology studies as a field, or their specific research topics.
This is not meant as an exclusive focus, we welcome contributions covering the
wide range of science and technology studies, from different societal domains
and technology fields, such as health, energy, agriculture, art, knowledge
dynamics, nature-society relations, innovation processes, governance, futures
and anticipation, finance, and many more.
PLEASE FIND THE FULL CALL
HERE!
Call for Tracks: procedure and deadline
Submissions to the conference will be organized in two steps. We are now
inviting proposals for tracks. The submission system will open September 22,
2025 on the conference website https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/sts-nl2026/.
Deadline is October 24, 2025. This will be followed by a call for abstracts of
contributions, which we expect to open end of November and close early
January.
- Tracks cover topics that are expected to attract contributions for at
least one, but typically multiple sessions, including contributions from
organizers and other participants. We expect tracks to be organized by
multiple researchers, preferably, but not necessarily from different
organizations. One person can only be main organizer of one track and
co-organize a second.
- Proposals for tracks may include different types of sessions such as
full or early-stage research paper sessions, workshops, policy dialogues or
debates (contributions to tracks will be invited and selected in a 2nd step
via a call for abstracts).
- Proposals should contain a title, organizers' details, and 200-400 words
abstract, including a description of the track topic and the type of
contributions envisaged (presentations, workshop etc.).
- Organisers of selected tracks will be asked to provide guidance for
participants applying through the conference call for abstracts, and then
support the conference by reviewing the papers submitted to their track and
curating the sessions (order of contributions, how to distribute time for
questions, invite discussants, etc).
Please, submit your proposal on the submission page by October 24, 2025 at the
latest. Organisers will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals in
November.
We look forward to welcoming you at the University of Twente!
Kornelia Konrad
Dr. Kornelia Konrad
Associate Professor 'Anticipation and Assessment of Emerging Technologies'
https://people.utwente.nl/k.e.konrad
University of Twente|Department of Technology, Policy and Society|Section
Knowledge, Transformation & Society (KiTeS)
BMS faculty research theme chair Emerging Technologies & Societal
Transformations
Associate Editor Futures
+31 53 489 3906, k.e.konrad@utwente.nl
Visitor address: Ravelijn RA 5101, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede | Postal
address: P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede
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