Philosophy of Responsible Innovation 2024 – OZSW + 4TU course (CANCELLED)

logo universiteit wageningenThis course is cancelled.

The Dutch Research School of Philosophy (OZSW), the 4TU Center for Ethics and Technology, Wageningen University and TU Delft invite PhD students in philosophy to register for the course Philosophy of Responsible Innovation to take place on January 24 – February 2, 2024.

Organizing university

Wagening University & Delft University of Technology

Date(s)

CANCELLED (was January 24 – February 2, 2024)

Location

TBA

Type of activity

PhD course

Primary target group

PhD students (alfa, gamma, beta) who start their research in the field of Ethics of Technology and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and PhD students in philosophy who want to learn more about philosophical and ethical reflection in the field of science and technology development. Students from universities outside The Netherlands are encouraged to subscribe for the course as well.

If places available, also open to

ReMa students. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to assistant.director@ozsw.nl to be put on a waiting list. You will be notified after the registration deadline if you can register and join the course.

Application/registration deadline

December 10, 2023

About the topic

This course discusses the main philosophical issues in relation to Responsible Innovation, an emerging concept in the EU context which highlights the relevance of social-ethical issues in research and innovation practices. This emerging concept calls for philosophical reflection on the nature, scope and applicability of responsibility and innovation in innovation practices in general, and the way social-ethical issues can be applied and addressed in specific fields like business, healthcare and energy in particular. Topics that will be covered include the nature of responsibility in responsible innovation, the role of societal values in innovation and value sensitive design, philosophical reflections on the role of knowledge and risk in innovation, constructive technology assessment and governance of responsible innovation, Responsible Innovation in the public sector (healthcare), responsible innovation in the private sector.

Students get to know some of the main positions in relation to philosophical issues in responsible innovation, the main arguments in the relevant debates and insight in the dilemma’s which appear in the practical application of responsible innovation in the public and private sector. Although the focus is on the philosophical and ethical issues raised by responsible innovation, we will also touch upon some more fundamental philosophical issues raised by responsible innovation. This includes issues like:

  • The nature of responsibility in light of the unpredictability of the future impact of innovations
  • The philosophical assumptions of the innovation paradigm
  • The way (responsible) innovations affect experience and praxis
  • Value incommensurability, value pluralism and the trade-offs between values in responsible innovation

Aim / objective

To become acquainted with the main philosophical issues in relation to Responsible Innovation.

Program

Preliminary Program

  • Day 1 (24 January 2024): Introduction to Responsible Research and Innovation (Blok, Swierstra & Boenink)
  • Day 2 (25 January 2024): Value Sensitive Design (vd Hoven & vd Poel)
  • Day 3 (26 January 2024): Conceptions of Responsibility in Relation to RRI I (Zwart) & Philosophy of Innovation (Blok)

 

Week 2 (Wageningen)

  • Day 4 (29 January 2024): ELSA and AIRR Framework (Plantinga & MacNaghten)
  • Day 5 (30 January 2024): Conceptions of Responsibility in Relation to RRI II (vd Poel/Blok)
  • Day 6 (31 January 2024): Postphenomenological analysis of RRI & Stakeholder participation (Ayden & Krabbenburg)
  • Day 7 (2 February 2024): Final Presentatioins (Blok & vd Poel)

Lecturers

  • dr. Tsjalling Swierstra, Maastricht University (day 1)
  • dr. Marianne Boenink, Radboud University Medical Center (day 1)
  • Vincent Blok, Wageningen University (day 1, 3, 5 and 7)
  • dr. ir. Ibo van de Poel, Technical University Delft (day 2, 5 and 7)
  • Mirjam Plantinga, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (day 4)
  • dr. Hub Zwart, Erasmus University Rotterdam (day 3)
  • dr. Jeroen van den Hoven, Technical University Delft (day 2)
  • dr. Phil Macnaghten, Wageningen University (day 4)
  • Lotte Krabbenborg, Radboud University Nijmegen (day 6)
  • Cyano Ayen, Twente University (day 6)

Required preparations

The participants are expected to read all the assigned literature, to do assignments and to actively participate in the discussions. They also have to give a final presentation (more information about the assignment will be provided during the first lecture)

Attendance

It is obligatory to attend all sessions of the course.

Last updated on August 22, 2023

Certificate / credit points

Study load is the equivalent of 5 EC.

Costs

The course is free for:

Other participants pay a tuition fee of 300 euro for the course. Foreign participants are welcome, but are themselves responsible for arranging their travel and accommodation in Delft or Wageningen.

Please note that there might be the option to register as a member of the OZSW which would give you free entrance to this and all other OZSW activities. Please check if you are eligible here: https://www.ozsw.nl/membership-2020/

How to apply / register

This course is cancelled and registration is no longer possible.

ReMa students can e-mail Fenanda Jacobs assistant.director@ozsw.nl to be put on a waiting list. After December 10th, we will e-mail if there are still spots available.

If registration has been closed because the maximum amount of participants has been reached, you can submit your name to the waiting list by sending an email to assistant.director@ozsw.nl. Please also indicate whether you are a ReMa student or PhD candidate and whether you are a member of the OZSW or not.

Cancellation and registration policy

Organizers

Wageningen University – Vincent Blok (vincent.blok@wur.nl)

Delft University of Technology – Ibo van de Poel (I.R.vandePoel@tudelft.nl)