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INES Workshop: Global Perspectives on Engineering, Lisbon, Portugal, Oct. 14-15, 2008

Call for Papers

International Network for Engineering Studies Workshop
Global Perspectives on Engineering
Lisbon, Portugal
October 14-15, 2008

The International Network for Engineering Studies is sponsoring a meeting in Lisbon on October 14-15, 2008. This meeting is being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT), and will take place over 1-1/2 days following SHOT. The theme of this INES gathering is Global Perspectives on Engineering, and we are accepting papers that relate directly to one of the four themes listed below. We welcome scholarly work from all different humanistic and social science disciplines, and interdisciplinary areas of study. We especially welcome diverse and transnational perspectives, as well as perspectives on engineering outside of the Western context.

For this workshop, all applications should conform to one of the four proposed themes (sessions) for this meeting:

  1. Education and Societal Change
  2. Engineering Identities
  3. Engineering and the Public Sphere
  4. Engineering and Global Development (or other theme)

The workshop will be organized around pre-circulated papers (a 6-page project description or prospectus of limited length), although those presenting at SHOT who would like to continue conversation about their paper as appropriate to one of the four themes will be given the option of submitting their SHOT paper. Work-in-progress and early presentation of new lines of research are actively encouraged. Each of the sessions during the meeting will be devoted to an open discussion of the papers related to one of the four themes.

The event is hosted by Maria Paula Diogo, Director of the Centre of History of Science and Technology at the New University of Lisbon. We expect this to be a small, intimate workshop (maximum of 24 papers, with a ceiling of 30 total participants). Interested applicants should submit a one-page abstract (maximum 450 words) to Atsushi Akera (akeraa@rpi.edu), along with contact information including title and affiliation. Please also indicate which session(s), A-D, your paper may be best suited for. Any questions (including the current status of session) may also be directed to Dr. Akera. Acceptance of papers will be announced on an ongoing basis (until sessions are full), with a deadline of 15 May 2008, or until seats are filled.

Program Committee:
Maria Paula Diogo (New University of Lisbon)
Atsushi Akera (Rensselaer)
Park Doing (Cornell)
Gary Downey (Virginia Polytechnic)
Ann Johnson (University of South Carolina)
Ulrik Jorgensen (TU Denmark)

The International Network for Engineering Studies was founded in 2004 during the Paris meeting of the Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S), and is presently coordinated by Gary Downey (Virginia Tech), Maria Paula Diogo (New University of Lisbon), and Chyuan-Yuan Wu (National Tsing Hua University). It is an interdisciplinary network created to advance research and teaching in historical, social, cultural, philosophical, rhetorical, and organizational studies of engineers and engineering; to help build and serve diverse communities of researchers and teachers interested in engineering studies, and to facilitate contributions from scholarly work in engineering studies to broader discussions and debates about engineering education, research, practice, and policy. The primary means of achieving these purposes shall be by meetings, conferences, and workshops in which lectures and technical papers are presented, by organizing online forums and developing online resources for research and teaching, and by editing a journal in engineering studies. The network currently has over 250 participants. A new INES website is under construction at www.inesweb.org.