Doctoral Colloquium February 2019
The winter edition of the MCTS Doctoral Colloquium #mytopic.in.society took place on February 21st and 22nd 2019, and combined best practices from past colloquia with a number of new formats such as a public keynote, a dedicated workshop for 3rd year presenters and a town hall meeting with director Sabine Maasen.
As always, the colloquium offered a place for doctoral candidates to present their research into technosociety and to discuss it with their peers. With topics ranging from spaceflight (Clormann), to autonomous driving (Schönewolf), to prosthetics (Seibt), the talks were testimony of the breadth and richness of the MCTS scholarship at the MCTS. Break-out-groups, moderated discussions, and the social event “Bowling with MCTS” offered opportunities for further exchange between all members of the Center from students to professors. The town hall meeting, in which director Sabine Maasen engaged in an open dialogue with MCTS doctoral candidates, was another prominent example of how the colloquium shapes the Center’s culture beyond research.
This winter colloquium was the first one to feature a public keynote. Our invited guest, professor Andrew Barry (University College London), took the stage to present his conception of Critical Evidence, which spawned a lively discussion. Adding to the string of new formats, Professor Barry also engaged with the 3rd year presenters in a dedicated workshop, giving advanced doctoral candidates the chance to discuss their work with one of the fields most prominent figures.
It was the balance between the continuation of a successful format and the addition of new ideas that made this colloquium a well-rounded affair. We thank the organizing committee David Seibt, Henning Mayer, Jan-Hendrik Passoth, Alexander Wentland, and Elisabeth Zellmer, the many helping hands on site, and of course the presenters whose work made the event possible. Finally, we are looking forward to the next colloquium, which will take place on July 25th and 26th.