16. Sep. 2009

For two weeks in August forty-one young researchers from fourteen countries from Europe and Latin America participated in the EULAKS Summer School on “the Role of the Social Sciences in the Construction of the Knowledge-Based Society: European and Latin American Perspectives”. The Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) jointly organized the Summer School with FLACSO Mexico who was the host of the event.

The Summer School was a great success and initiated a fruitful exchange of ideas and perspectives between the young researchers and the invited lecturers on the risks and challenges for policy making in the new knowledge based societies in Europe and Latin America. The discussions that evolved had a highly multi-disciplinary character as the participants of the Summer School came from diverse scientific areas, although the main focus lay on the role of the Social Sciences.

The lectures included topics on innovation and growth (Mario Cimoli), converging technologies and its consequences for 21st century social science (Steve Fuller), climate change and the ethics of science (Hebe Vessuri), innovation and underdevelopment (Judith Sutz), foresight experiences from the South (Javier Medina), to name only a few.

Special attention was also drawn to the new role of Nanotechnology, Biotechnology and ICT in national and regional development strategies in Europe and Latin America.

Ultimately the Summer School intended to motivate young researchers from Europe and Latin America to participate in existing research funding programmes as the Seventh Framework Programme from the European Commission.

Furthermore the ground was laid for the young researchers to build networks and cross-regional scientific linkages according to their specific research interests. Ideas and opportunities for joint publications already evolved.

Mor information on the EULAKS Summer School under: http://www.eulaks.eu/summerschool

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Tags: Mexico