Hiring Strategy

As part of our Hiring Strategy, C³S will be looking for

• Three professorships for the Critical Reflection and/or Governance of Computational Technologies

 

Program & Registration

This is the program of the second exploratory workshop. To access the program, please get in touch with office@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de

In order to register, please get in touch with office@c3s.uni-frankfurt.de (inter alia by providing your name, affiliation etc.).

Prospect of Three Professorships for the Critical Reflection and/or Governance of Computational Technologies

At C³S, we aim to analyze, reflect and/or govern/regulate computational (algorithmic, data driven etc.) technologies, and how they intersect (transform and are driven by) with society, politics, the economy, etc. The aim is to assess and design sustainable, trustworthy, and justifiable computational methods.  

Candidates are encouraged to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries. Key disciplinary backgrounds include, but are not limited to: Digital Anthropology, Digital Geography, Digital Sociology, IT Law, Science and Technology Studies (STS), Political Theory, Ethics in Computation, Philosophy of Media, Science, and Technology.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate a strong and genuine commitment to interdisciplinary research and teaching. [Learn more ⟶]

Candidates should showcase innovative approaches to understanding and navigating the complex interplay between technology, data, media, and society. They demonstrate robust knowledge of or a keen interest in the underlying technologies that they study. This entails proficiency, or a strong willingness to engage deeply with the technical foundations of areas such as machine learning algorithms, data mining or network science. Dual competency will ensure that the research and teaching contributions of the candidates are both technologically informed and critically engaged, fostering a holistic approach to the study of digital and technological advancements in society.

Ideal candidates possess the foresight and expertise to anticipate and critically address the challenges and implications presented by emerging computational technologies. This includes, but is not limited to, quantum computing and augmented reality. A deep understanding of how these technologies might reshape ethical considerations, social dynamics, and human identity, including trans- and posthuman constellations, is essential. Candidates are expected to contribute innovative research that navigates these complex issues, proposing ethical frameworks and/or regulatory solutions that are responsive to the rapid evolution of computational technologies.

Possible approaches include, but are not limited to:

• Assessing and critically reflecting upon, including by computational means, the (political, financial, planetary, gender etc.) power dynamics of and in algorithms and computational systems, acknowledging how these structures can perpetuate or challenge existing hierarchies.
• Examining the social (political, economic, cultural etc.) consequences of data-driven decision-making, exploring how computational approaches shape policy, norms, and public discourse, and how they (re)produce, reinforce, destabilize, or mitigate relations of inequality.
• Investigating the potential of computational methods in addressing and mitigating social inequalities, particularly in the context of digital access and information distribution.
• Reflecting on the role of individual and collective human agency (including democratic control and oversight) in the context of computational systems, acknowledging the need for a nuanced understanding of the relationship between technology, individuals, society, data responsibility and data maturity.
• Exploring the epistemological and ontological assumptions that underpin the development of digital technologies and computational models, discussing how these assumptions influence the design, implementation, and societal impact of computational systems, and proposing alternative perspectives that foster more inclusive and ethical technological landscape.
• Evaluating digital infrastructure and data governance practices, including the regulation of data use, privacy, property rights, and the management of digital resources.