Kursusinformation

Dear students

Welcome to the Master Programme in Techno-Anthropology at Aalborg University, Aalborg Campus.

The framework theme for the first semester is the study of Technological Transformations and reflects an ambition to understand a range of processes and controversies around the development of techno-scientific and technological solutions. The focus is on innovation processes and actor-oriented involvements / roles / controversies embedded in technological transformations. The students will learn to gain insight into a technology domain’s key processes and identify the drivers and barriers for a responsible innovation in the respective domain. By extensive use of Techno-Anthropological theories and methods, the social, cultural, organizational, institutional and ethical dimension of technological transformations will be in focus.

Techno-Anthropology is an interdisciplinary program. Hence, the student projects’ case-analyses are expected to be interdisciplinary and draw on insights from the different disciplines and domains. In the pilot-project “Interdisciplinary Knowledge Production”, students will be introduced to interdisciplinary work. Crucial to this understanding is the conception of technology as a Socio-technical phenomenon. A Socio-technical perspective assumes that humans, values, social relations and technical artifacts are entangled, as opposed to an artifact-centered understanding of technology that equals technology to technical artifacts. The students must be able to understand technological transformations as interplay between both humans and artifacts, involving a wide array of people - both experts and users, and also be able to relate to issues on a broader societal context. The study of specific real-life cases is therefore an important part of this semester. In the course module “Techno-Anthropological Problems and Theories”, the students will become acquainted with broad selection of cases. In the project module “Technological Transformations”, the students will engage with Health Technologies, Emerging Technologies, Sustainable Technologies, and/or Community-Centered Technologies.

Based on study experience in Techno-Anthropology, students will gain employability for their career development. Firstly, the interdisciplinary perspective can make a significant difference in facilitating young people to successfully deal with increasing interdisciplinary challenges of complexities in technological transformations and business development, especially emerging social and societal issues caused by new technologies. Secondly, the study facilitates students to shape professional identities to be 'responsible enterprises', 'green engineers', or 'interdisciplinary thinking managers'. This will further benefit to a responsible social innovation environment and a sustainable business culture. Thirdly, the direct conversation with guest lectures who are working in enterprisers will help students to build business networks that further facilitate potential collaboration and partnerships.

We will see each other on September 1^st for the start of the semester.

Maurizio