Workshop “Engaged Social Studies of Modelling”

Modelling and computing are increasingly at the heart of innovation, governance, and public policy. Yet, many modelers remain detached from the social, ethical, and political implications of their work, often viewing these aspects as irrelevant to the success of the model. The flexibility, variety, and resistance to falsification, coupled with their status as authoritative evidence-making technologies, have also enabled models to distance themselves from public scrutiny and social critique.

For years, historians and philosophers of science, and researchers in Science and Technology Studies have studied climate, health, environment, and economics models. However, these insights have often been fragmented, external to modeling communities, and disconnected from their everyday concerns and practices, perpetuating the “two cultures” divide, famously described by C.P. Snow.

In the wake of global experience of modelling COVID-19, however, the social and political dimensions of modeling have come into sharper focus within modeling communities themselves, and the call for more responsible modeling and computing is now gaining momentum.

This shift presents an opportunity to bridge these divides. This workshop aims to capitalize on this moment, as the social critique of modeling is now beginning to catch the attention of the modelling community. We will begin by discussing what social studies of modelling is, and how it can evolve from an external reflection into a transformative, engaged research program that works within and alongside modelling communities.

If you would like to attend, please register with: events@khk.rwth-aachen.de

Program:

09:00 – 9:30: Welcome & Coffee

09:30 – 11:00: Opening Discussion: Ehsan Nabavi, Andrea Saltelli, Lieke Melsen, Stefan Böschen
Brief introductions + initial reflections on ‘social studies of modelling’ (framed by a short draft shared in advance)

11:00 – 11:15: Coffee Break

11:15 – 12:45: Roundtable: ‘Engaged social studies of modelling?’

12:45 – 14:00: Lunch Break

14:00 – 15:30: Collaboration
Mapping intersections and possibilities for collaborations

15:30 – 15:45: Coffee Break

15:45 – 16:30: Closing Conversation
Reflections, next steps, and possible ways to continue the conversation