Call for Participation - Transnational STS Project

Call for Participation: Transnational STS Project

July 2019

Transnational STS Project aims to contribute to recent discussions over the transnational dimensions of the field, particularly following the theme of the 4S 2018 Conference in Sydney (TRANSnational STS). This project extends from the digital exhibits that have been built for 4S annual meetings (STS Across Borders in 2018 and Innovating STS in 2019) in an effort to archive STS scholarship, innovate scholarly publishing, and foster mutual learning among STS communities across borders (http://stsinfrastructures.org). 

In conversation with the STS scholarship that focuses on the constitution of modern technoscience across and between nation-states, and that reflects on the global character of STS, this project begins with a particular set of questions: What makes STS transnational? What are/would be the contributions of doing Transnational STS for knowledge production in the field as well as practicing STS in different places? Rather than approaching to “transnational” as an ideal temporal-spatial universalism to be achieved, Transnational STS project aims to explore what becomes visible when nation-state as the only analytic breaks down. Simultaneously, it asks: What is the role of the nation-state with regard to education and research activities in the contemporary period? Through fostering comparative thinking, this project seeks to elaborate on and question the analytic of “nation-state” in studying technoscientific practices. As such, this project is a call for STS scholars to be self-reflexive, especially at this very moment when we witness the haunt of the far-right movements and neoliberal authoritarian governance across the world.  

Transnational STS Project seeks to build a network for STS scholars interested in transnational collaborations and comparative studies. This project functions basically through three main working groups: 1) Theorizing Transnational STS; 2) Teaching Transnational STS; and, 3) Practicing Transnational STS. Through monthly virtual meetings, each group will develop their own project and will share their progress during the annual meetings. The project’s design group will organize annual meetings and facilitate the working groups as well as the organization of local workshops in different parts of the world biennially, and the navigation of STS scholars conducting research outside their home. For further information, see: http://stsinfrastructures.org/content/transnational-sts-project/essay

You are all invited to our inaugural meeting that will be held during 4S 2019 Conference in New Orleans on September 6, Friday between 11:30 am - 12:45 pm (Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, Floor: Fourth Floor, Bayside A). If you are interested in becoming a participant in this project, please fill out this form. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions and/or comments. We are very much looking forward to working together across borders!  

Transnational STS Design Group

Kim Fortun

Duygu Kasdogan

Aalok Khandaker 

Contact: Duygu Kasdogan (duygukasdogan@gmail.com)