European Association for the Study of Science and Technology

European Association for the Study of Science and Technology is a scholarly association dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of Science and Technology Studies, linking researchers from across Europe and beyond. The association fosters collaboration among scholars associated with institutions such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Amsterdam, University of Copenhagen, and University of Manchester, and connects to broader networks including Society for Social Studies of Science, International Sociological Association, European Commission, Institute of Physics, and Royal Society. Its activities intersect with research concerns evident at venues like Max Planck Society, CNRS, ETH Zurich, University of Bologna, and University of Barcelona.

History

The association emerged in the early 1980s amid developments in fields represented by figures tied to Bruno Latour, Michel Callon, Sheila Jasanoff, Trevor Pinch, and Donald MacKenzie, and responded to institutional shifts at organizations such as European Science Foundation, NATO, ESRC, Helsinki University, and University of Vienna. Early meetings drew participants from universities including University of Sussex, University of Edinburgh, University of Warwick, Leiden University, and University of Oslo, as well as research centres like London School of Economics, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Stanford University. Over time the association formalized governance structures influenced by models used by American Association for the Advancement of Science, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, European Research Council, and Wellcome Trust.

Organization and Governance

The association is governed by an elected council composed of scholars affiliated with institutions such as University of Helsinki, University of Zurich, King's College London, Trinity College Dublin, and University of Leiden, with an executive committee that collaborates with secretariats previously hosted at Utrecht University, Tilburg University, Ghent University, University of Milan, and University of Lisbon. Governance draws on procedures comparable to those used by American Sociological Association, International Studies Association, European Consortium for Political Research, Association for Computing Machinery, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Financial oversight and partnerships involve funders and supporters like European Commission Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Swiss National Science Foundation, Austrian Science Fund, and Spanish Ministry of Science.

Membership and Chapters

Membership includes individual scholars from departments at University College London, University of Copenhagen, University of Göttingen, University of Helsinki, and Sapienza University of Rome, as well as institutional members from Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Institut Pasteur, Karolinska Institutet, Fraunhofer Society, and TNO. National and regional chapters coordinate local activities in countries represented by Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland, and maintain relations with networks such as Nordic Science Policy Network, Central European University, Baltic Studies Association, Iberian Studies Network, and Mediterranean Universities Union. Membership benefits parallel offerings by American Historical Association, European Sociological Association, Association for Computing Machinery SIG, Modern Language Association, and Royal Geographical Society.

Conferences and Activities

The association organizes biennial conferences hosted at universities including University of Vienna, University of Barcelona, University of Ljubljana, University of Zagreb, and University of Porto, and collaborates on joint meetings with Society for Social Studies of Science, 4S (Society for Social Studies of Science), European Sociological Association, International Communication Association, and History of Science Society. Activities feature keynote speakers drawn from scholars like Bruno Latour, Sheila Jasanoff, STS scholars at MIT, Columbia University faculty, and Princeton University researchers, and include panels on topics linked to projects funded by Horizon Europe, ERC Advanced Grants, Wellcome Trust Investigator Awards, Leverhulme Trust, and NWO. The association also runs summer schools and workshops in partnership with summer programs at European University Institute, Isaac Newton Institute, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Scuola Normale Superiore, and University of Bergen.

Publications and Awards

The association supports publication outlets and prizes, endorsing special issues in journals like Social Studies of Science, Science, Technology, & Human Values, History of Science, Public Understanding of Science, and Research Policy, and coordinates book series with academic presses such as Routledge, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, MIT Press, and Palgrave Macmillan. It administers awards recognizing early-career and senior scholars, comparable to recognitions given by European Research Council Starting Grants, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Fellowships, Royal Society awards, Max Planck Gesellschaft honors, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowships. Editorial collaborations involve editors affiliated with University of California Berkeley, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Toronto, and Australian National University.

Category:Learned societies