About

CONFERENCE THEME

Technologies are always more than the sum of their mechanical parts. Indeed, technologies are entangled in symbolic forms of a social and cultural nature. Technologies also contribute to the construction of new worldviews and new forms of life. Technological imaginaries are far more than phantasies detached from technological innovation. They are at the heart of innovation itself, of the invention as well as of the implementation and use of technology in our societies. Technological imaginaries are embodied in the technologies themselves, as well as in norms and social and cultural practices. Technological imaginaries are often crystallized in scientific and non-scientific texts, documents, sounds, and images. They are always distributed on an axis that goes from ideology to utopia. At times, they serve to defend and strengthen the social and cultural status quo. At other times, they announce state of affairs that are not yet present – or never will be. In short, the notion of technological imaginaries places technologies within a wider world, made of nature and matter, but also language, images, ideas, institutions, symbols, intuitions, and dreams.

HOST UNIVERSITIES

The Catholic University of Lille

Founded in 1875, the Lille Catholic University is France’s largest private, not-for-profit university, with over 30,000 students and 5,000 staff members. The UCLille is home to 26 different faculties and institutes and offers more than 200 degrees, including science and engineering, humanities, law, economics and management, health science and social work. UCLille counts 440 partner universities worldwide (90 inter-university agreements and 350 Erasmus partnerships), and with 5,500 French students studying abroad every year and welcoming almost 6,000 international students, it is one of the most internationalized French universities. The UCLille federates approximately 650 professors, 220 doctoral students, 15 research units and  institutes, and 19 research chairs.Visit the website here.

The University of Technology of Compiegne

The University of Technology of Compiègne is both a university and an engineering school, providing trainings in the main engineering domains. It was founded in 1972 with the aim of promoting technology as a science of a special sort (neither fundamental nor applied science), and even as a culture in its own right. From the beginning the UTC also strongly claims for merging engineering training with humanities. It is likely to be the major higher education place in France where technology and philosophy can be closely intertwined, in teaching as well as in research programs. Located in the center of Compiègne, a little city of about 40,000 inhabitants in the region Hauts-de-France, the university currently welcomes 4,400 students, most of them (around 3,700) being trained in engineering. 700 are registered in master as well as in doctoral programs. The university is member of the Alliance Sorbonne Université. It is involved in numerous partnerships with foreign universities and has developed a training program with Shanghai University. Visit the website here.

THE SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY

The Society for Philosophy and Technology is an independent international organization that encourages, supports and facilitates philosophically significant considerations of technology. Founded in 1976, the Society convenes its own international conference biennially. The SPT Contribute to the thriving of philosophy of technology as a field. It publishes Techné. The journal is devoted to the philosophical analysis of technological systems and to reflections on the art, craft, science and engineering of making things and getting things done in the world. Membership to SPT is open to individuals whose work is in keeping with the interests of the Society – including scholars with an advanced degree (typically but not necessarily in philosophy), professionals in technological fields, and students whose work includes philosophically significant considerations of technology. More info here.

COMMITTEES

Organizing committee

  • Emanuele CLARIZIO, UCLille
  • David DOAT, UCLille
  • Xavier GUCHET, UTC Compiègne
  • Richard LEWIS, UCLille
  • Alain LOUTE, UCLille

Program committee

Sabine AMMON (TU Berlin), Inmaculada DE MELO-MARTIN (Cornell University), David DOAT (UCLille), Richard LEWIS (UCLille), Alberto ROMELE (University of Tübingen), Shannon VALLOR (The University of Edinburgh), Pieter VERMAAS (TU Delft), Naoe KIYOTAKA (Tohoku University)

Scientific committee

Anne ALOMBERT (UCLille), Sabine AMMON (TU Berlin), Adeline BARBIN (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Bernadette BENSAUDE-VINCENT (Sorbonne University), Federica BUONGIORNO (TU Dresden), Emanuele CLARIZIO (UCLille), Mark COECKELBERGH (University of Vienna), Cléo COLLOMB (Paris-Saclay University), Darryl CRESSMAN (Maastricht University), Lucie DALIBERT (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), Christelle DIDIER (University of Lille), David DOAT (UCLille), Gabriel DORTHE (IASS Potsdam – Harvard STS), Irene BORGES DUARTE (University of Evora), Maurizio FERRARIS (University of Turin), Jean-Yves GOFFI (Université Grenoble-Alpes), Valentine GOURINAT (Université de Strasbourg), Nathalie GRANDJEAN (Université de Namur), Xavier GUCHET (UTC Compiègne), Carole GUESSE (Université de Liège, Belgique), Susanne HAHN (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), Julie JEBEILE (University of Bern), Eric KERR (National University of Singapore), Esther KEYMOLEN (Tilburg University), Naoe KIYOTAKA (Tohoku University), Pieter LEMMENS (Radboud University), Richard LEWIS (UCLille), Sacha LOEVE (University of Lyon 3), Janina LOH (University of Vienna), Alain LOUTE (UCLille), Martin PETERSON (A&M University), Victor PETIT (Université de technologie de Troyes), Tyler REIGELUTH (Université de Grenoble-Alpes), Dario RODIGHIERO (MIT/EPFL), Antoinette ROUVROY (University of Namur), Robert ROSENBERGER (Georgia Tec), Nicola RUSSO (University of Naple), François SEBBAH (Paris Nanterre University), Gemma SERRANO (Collège des Bernardins), Shannon VALLOR (Santa Clara University), Yoni VAN DEN EEDE (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Peter-Paul VERBEEK (University of Twente), Pieter VERMAAS (TU Delft), Galit WELLNER (Tel Aviv University/NB School of Design), Ernst WOLFF (KU Leuven)