From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Ragna Zeiss
Sent: 15 June 2004 08:40
To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: E-conference "Technological Responsibility"




E-conference
Technological Responsibility
Relevance of the Research, Social Dialogue, Competitiveness and Fairness
The role of social research in the processes of scientific and tecnological
research



Dear Colleague,

I have the pleasure to contact you for inviting you to take part to the
electronic conference on ³Technological Responsibility. Relevance of the
Research, Social Dialogue, Competitiveness and Fairness² that CERFE is
launching in the framework of the RAST (Action research on Science and
Technology) Project.

This project - financially supported by the Latium Regional Administration
and the European Social Fund - is carried out through a temporary
association with ASS.FOR.SEO (Association Training Development and
Employment). It includes a set of research, training and communication
activities which will lead to an international conference on scientific and
technological development, that will be held in Rome, in December 2004.

The goal of the electronic conference is to allow a reflection on a set of
issues related to technological and scientific research, devolving a special
attention towards the dynamics related to the participation of a plurality
of social actors to the processes of the so-called ³black box² of research.

The core issue of the e-conference is ³technological responsibility², not so
much as the attention to identify and prevent the social, economic and
environmental negative impacts of technologies, rather as the orientation
of social actors to feel involved in scientific and technological issues and
to actively participate in building research during its development stage,
hence before it is consolidated in finished technological products..

The strengthening of a widespread responsibility on scientific and
technological development is not a minor question, expecially taking into
consideration the alarming signs of an increasing delay recorded in this
sector in Europe, and particularly in Italy, where a risk of a
³technological dequalification² could appears in the future.

To avoid such a risk, it OEs necessary to increase RTD funds and to test new
organizational solutions. Nevertheless it is probably equally urgent to
understand which social factors encourage and hinder scientific and
technological development to then control them with greater awareness,
intelligence and a strategic sense.


Linked with this core issue, are other questions that will be considered in
the e-conference. These are that of the quality of scientific and
technological research and therefore of its relevance with respect to
society¹s needs; that of social dialogue, intended as a tool for fostering
the involvement of social actors with the processes occurring in the
research black box, influencing its trajectories; that of the relations
among research, competitivity and equity, which are often taken for granted
while they probably are still to be fully understood.

The whole background for discussion, including a deeper examination of the
topics of the e-conference, is available at
http://www.gruppocerfe.org/scuola_soc/

The e-conference is addressed to an international audience including the
various actors involved in the study of science and technology, in the
scientific and technological research and in the policies devised in this
seector, determination and implementation of scientific and technological
research activities (sociologists, policy makers, expert in science
communication, scientists, research managers, etc.). Italian and English
will be the e-conference working languages.

The e-conference will start on July 18, 2004 and will go ahead until october
2004.

It is possible to participate to the e-conference by:

- sending short messages, commenting the discussion outline or some of the
included topics;
- sending longer interventions on issues relevant for the conference
discussion;
- sending relevant paper and documents, that will be made available for
participants through a special archive.

To take part into the e-conference, please send an e-mail to the conference
coordinator [log in to unmask] or send a Re: to this e-mail

Hoping to have your contribution to the reflection we are starting up, I
send you my best regards.


Gianfrancesco Costantini

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