[ecrea] CFP: Technologies and Improvisation

*CALL FOR PAPERS:*

*Technologies and Improvisation:
Tools and theories for uncertain futures*

**

*Nordic Summer University Ad Hoc Symposium
February 9–11, 2018, University of Gothenburg, Sweden*

Hosted by the Cybioses: Shaping Human-Technology Futures Group**of 
the**Nordic Summer University, together with the Department of Computer 
Science and Engineering and the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics 
and Theory of Science, at University of Gothenburg.

*
*We invite scholars, artists, technologists and other professionals 
working or writing on future technologies to take part in our first 
Nordic Summer University symposium.

The aim of the symposium is to bring together theorists, designers and 
technologists. Together we want to discuss practices of making and the 
social and cultural impact of future technologies. How can philosophical 
questions support the development of technologies? How in turn can 
technological practices and development inform philosophical and 
sociological theories? And how can both making and theorizing help us 
imagining future technologies and their impact on societies? Guided by 
these questions we want to develop a philosophy for makers and a better 
practice for philosophy.

Our first symposium investigates the role of improvisation in 
technological development and philosophy. As technologists and 
theorists, we improvise when we don’t know how to continue. We improvise 
when we move in unknown territory or when time does not allow for a 
systemic investigation. And yet, improvisation follows patterns. Is 
there is good and bad improvisation, and good and bad improvisers? What 
role does improvisation play in the development of technologies? How can 
technologies improve improvisation? And what can different practices and 
theories of improvisation tell us about future technologies?

We explicitly want to foster exchange between humanities-based 
researchers, makers and artists. The interdisciplinary discussion of 
technological futures has yet to find its forms within and outside of 
academia. Our aim is, therefore, to test different forms of 
presentation. We encourage participants to briefly present one 
particular technology or one particular theory about a technology. The 
individual presentations will be complemented with open discussion 
rounds and documentation rounds. The focus on brief showcases, together 
with the small format of the workshop allows for extended and deep 
discussions, and prevents endless boring paper sessions.

Topics we hope to discuss during the symposium include:

·philosophy of improvisation

·the relationship between technology and improvisation

·designing for improvisation

·improvisation, technology and survival

·technology and improvisation in conflict and crisis management

·improvisation in design

·design fictions

·improvisation in previous futures (historical case studies)

·cognition and improvisation

·improvisation and AI

·improvisation in engineering

·prediction and improvisation in future studies

·improvisation in the art world

*How to participate*

We are looking for brief technological and philosophical showcases 
limited to 20minutes. You could either present a particular technology, 
particular theory or case study you are working on.

*To submit a proposal please send**via email to the coordinators*

Palle Dahlstedt (palle.dahlstedt /at/ gu.se) <mailto:(palle.dahlstedt /at/ gu.se)>

Rafael Dernbach (rkd32 /at/ cam.ac.uk) <mailto:(rkd32 /at/ cam.ac.uk)>

Johan Sö(derbergjohan.soderberg /at/ sts.gu.se) <mailto:(johan.soderberg /at/ sts.gu.se)>

1.A written short proposal *(max. 300 words)* with a title

2. A short bio *(max. 200 words)*

It is possible to attend the symposium without presenting. In this case, 
please just email a short bio.

*The deadline to submit proposals is January 5th, 2018. *Notifications 
of accepted presentations will be sent before the preliminary program is 
announced on January 8^th , 2018 on www.nordic.university.

*Registration and Fee*

Students, freelancers, unemployed: 30€
Those associated with institutions:  45€

This cost includes meals (lunches, coffee breaks, and conference dinner) 
as well as conference materials.

Arrival: 9.2.2018
Departure: 11.2.2018

*Scholarship*

A limited number of participants with low income (i.e. students and 
unemployed) can ask to have the fee waived. Subsidies are conditioned on 
available funds. A limited number of free accommodations in private 
homes are also available. Please mention in your application, if you 
want to be considered for a scholarship and/or private accommodation, 
together with a motivation.

*The Nordic Summer University (NSU) *is a Nordic network for research 
and interdisciplinary studies.

NSU is a nomadic, academic institution, which organises 
workshop-seminars across disciplinary and national borders. Since it was 
established in 1950, Nordic Summer University has organised forums for 
cultural and intellectual debate in the Nordic and Baltic region, 
involving students, academics, politicians, and intellectuals from this 
region and beyond.

Decisions about the content and the organisational form of the NSU lay 
with its participants. The backbone of the activities in the NSU 
consists of its thematic study circles. In the study circles 
researchers, students and professionals from different backgrounds 
collaborate in scholarly investigations distributed regularly in summer 
and winter symposia during a three-year period.

For more information, see: www.nordic.university 
<http://www.nordic.university/>


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