Holding things together? Change, continuity, critique
10th – 12th September 2025
University of Zurich (Hauptgebäude), ETH, ZHdK (Museum für Gestaltung, Toni Areal)
In response to multiple crises and uncertain futures, nostalgic factions of contemporary society sometimes lament lost togetherness and a lack of shared knowledge about what happens, what should be done, and how to make sense of it all. Political upheavals, economic inequalities, ecological devastations, and climate threats indeed do seem to call for restored unity and a renewed pact of knowledge in society governed by relevance. Desirable futures are then imagined through collective efforts and revived interdisciplinary perspectives, including science and technology studies (STS). Through collaborative programs, public engagement, action research, transdisciplinary ventures, and the idea that “things could be otherwise,” STS as a multifaceted research field indeed has come to be built around the hope for a more just and inclusive world.
The STS-CH 2025 conference aims to approach togetherness from different perspectives that inquire into processes and practices of change, continuity, critique and potentially also the deliberate destruction of existing structures, social or sociotechnical. The goal is not to reach consensus on potential futures but to coproduce insights and support performative voices that imagine other liveable futures, connecting past and present experiences.
The conference will be held at the UZH, ETH and ZHdK. On Thursday, 11th September the keynote by Hannah Star Rogers will be held at the Museum für Gestaltung (Ausstellungsstrasse) and the following apéro is served the the Toni Areal.
Philippe Sormani an Chris Salter are part of the conference commitee.
Further information, detailed schedule and registration [here]