Converging Science and Technologies: Research Trajectories and Institutional Settings
May 14-15 2007, Vienna, Austria

The converging technologies paradigm is gaining significance at the level of research programming and funding. Both at the European level and in several national environments, research is actively promoted that seeks solutions to key challenges in the fields of health, education, infrastructure and environment through innovations at the nanoscale and the synergistic combination of insights and techniques from different disciplines. In turn, this is leading to the emergence of new educational curricula and interdisciplinary specializations.

Is this indeed happening at a scale and mode that warrant expecting a major institutional re-engineering of contemporary S&T and a thematic re-orientation? This workshop will address this question by considering developments around four themes:

I) the origins, visions and purpose of the converging technology paradigm(s)
II) the public and private funding of research in the key nano-, bio, info- and cognitive science (NBIC) fields
III) educational curricula and modern career paths in S&T
IV) media representations and public perceptions of converging technologies.

Abstracts (500 words) should be submitted by 15th December.

They should be sent to [log in to unmask]