The Conference in Resume
The 2023 General Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) was bustling with lively intellectual debates from the 4th to the 8th of September in Prague. The section of the ECPR Standing Group Knowledge Politics and Policies featured nine engaging panels revolving around politics, policy of academic mobility and diplomacy, the state of universities, higher and vocational education, research, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Experts and scholars presented their findings to a captivated audience, sparking insightful discussions which we highlight in this post.
Mapping the Transformation of Universities
The panel on "Contemporary issues in shaping universities" offered detailed inspection into topics varying from student politics in Sub-Saharan Africa to the making of competitive higher education regions in China and student transitions from education to work. Study cases from Makerere’s student union in Uganda and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China added a unique non-Western perspective to the discussions. In turn, insights into student perceptions across Europe and the increasing academization of work brought to light new dimensions of the education-labor paradigm.
Understanding AI Through Politics
The politics, policy, and power of AI have been a pivotal part of the ECPR’s Knowledge Politics and Policy section since 2020. This year marks the launch of a special journal issue on AI Politics and Policy featuring topics like public digital service access, food courier profiling, gender equality, and AI policymaking paradigms. This panel illustrated the multifaceted political relevance of AI and its societal co-shaping at various local, national, and global levels.
Higher Education Amidst Instability
In times of societal, political, and technological upheaval, the higher education and research sectors encounter unprecedented challenges. The panel "Higher education and unstable times" explored resistance in Hawaii towards big scientific projects, the impact of technological changes on higher education and the intersection between higher education policies and labor markets, particularly examining Ireland and Spain. The panel also shed light on policy changes related to higher education internationalization in the face of current geopolitical and social disruptions in Europe.
Kowledge Policies in a Globalized Context
The panel "Shaping knowledge policies in a globalized world" addressed the origin of knowledge policies in the context of today’s global higher education landscape. From the creation of mission-oriented innovation policies in Norway, the competition dynamics in organizational fields, to the examined Chinese Discipline Evaluation, the contributions offered a comprehensive understanding of differing policies and their implications on a national and international level.
The European Universities Initiative
The "European Universities Initiative – taking stock and looking forward" panel homed in on the EU’s recent flagship project to establish transnational university alliances. With a rapid development timeline, the initiative is already reshaping institutional landscapes and governance structures, it's seen as acting as informal diplomatic actors. Insights from research showed the impact of the initiative on European, national, institutional levels, and suggested potential theoretical and methodological approaches for studying it.
Post-Conference Standing Group Affairs
Framing the timeframe of this comprehensive conference was the business meeting of the Standing Group. The highlight of the meeting was the award ceremony for emerging scholars – Dr. Adrienn Nyircsák and Anke Reinhardt. The Standing Group is encouraging renewal of memberships as they prepare for the 2024 edition of the ECPR General Conference to be held in Dublin next August. The next conference promises to be bigger and better!
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By: Europe of Knowledge
Title: Highlights From the 2023 ECPR General Conference
Sourced From: era.ideasoneurope.eu/2023/09/21/ecpr-knowledge-politics-and-policies-2023/
Published Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:03:14 +0000
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