News 2022
November 2022: Vienna Lecture on the European Union
Digitalisation revolutionalises our lives by offering faster and more comfortable alternatives on many levels of the economy and our social lives. Social Credit Systems epitomise this development and they are not at all restricted to much-debated China but rather part of a global trend towards datafication. If the nowadays almost omnipresent data traces are systematically collected and weaponised by political regimes, however, they can quickly be used for non-democratic means. So how can we prevent that convenience turns into control? Can one find a balance between guileless enthusiasm for new developments and overly cautious resistance against progress? These and further topics will be discussed in this term's "Vienna Lecture on the European Union" on the subject of "Digitalised Capitalism and Social Credit Systems: International Experiences and Lessons for Europe". Katika Kühnreich's presentation will be commented by Ingrid Schneider (Professor of Political Science, University of Hamburg) and Julia Musitz (Prae-Doc at the Department of Sociology of Goethe University Frankfurt). See the flyer and abstract here.
August 2022: EIF member at Alpbach
In August 2022, Anke Obendiek contributed to the European Forum Alpbach. Together with Hermann Hauser, she was co-chair of the seminar "Europe's Struggle for Technological Sovereignty". The seminars form an important part of the European Forum Alpbach and over six intensive sessions explore key topics for Europe's future, together with students and young professionals.
May 2022: Two Special Issues edited by EIF members
Katharina Meissner (and Clara Portela from the University of Valencia) have edited a Special Issue of Politics and Governance and now one by Magnus Schoeller and Gerda Falkner of German Politics has also been published.
April 2022: Results of Conference on Digital Sovereignty
Two intensive days of presentations and discussions have yielded lots of new input on the question whether Digital Sovereignty is more about rhetoric or reality. The Vienna Working Group on Digital Europe will now collect contributions to form a Special Issue - hopefully to be published soon.
February 2022: Conference on Digital Sovereignty in preparation
The Vienna Working Group on Digital Europe has authored a Framework Paper for the upcoming Conference on Digital Sovereignty (April 28 and 29) and finalised the list of scheduled speakers. A variety of captivating contributions await participants. The conference is limited to researchers active in the field, but interested parties can inquire via eif@univie.ac.at if outside attendance is possible.
