The PRAXIS research group at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU,
the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS, KIT
Karlsruhe) and the The Käte Hamburger Kolleg: Cultures of Research at RWTH
Aachen University will host an International Summer School for PhD students, titled
“The impacts of digitalization on science and society in the quest for more
sustainable futures”. The Summer School is part of the 45th edition of the UPV/EHU
Summer Courses in Donostia-San Sebastián.

Documents

• Call for Papers

Keynote lecturers of the Summer School

• Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gramelsberger, Käte Hamburger Kolleg Cultures of Research RWTH Aachen University, Germany: https://khk.rwth-aachen.de/gabriele-gramelsberger/
• Prof. Dr. Harro van Lente, full professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Maastricht University, The Netherlands: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/h-van-lente 
• Prof. Dr. Stefano Balbi, Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) and IKERBASQUE - Basque Foundation for Science, Basque Country (Spain): https://www.ikerbasque.net/en/stefano-balbi

Presentation

Science has been significantly shaped by digitalization over the past decades,
affecting multiple levels of research and practice – knowledge production,
methodology, cultures of collaboration, science-society interactions and, finally, the
very idea of science as such (Storey and Baskerville 2025). Multiple
transformations in science are occurring, e.g. via data science tools, research
software, modelling tools, AI tools, data ecosystems or other digitalized research
tools and infrastructures. This is significant not only for data generation and data
processing, but also for knowledge production itself (OECD 2020). For instance,
new digital technologies such as digital twins (future labs) are claimed to
revolutionize sustainability research and planning (Garske et al. 2024). However,
new digital technologies should not simply be conceived as tools for enhancing the
scope and speed of scientific knowledge production, collaboration, communication
and interaction. There are also wicked relationships with other fields of society
(e.g., policy, citizens) emerging (Hocquet et al. 2024).
In that respect, recent discussions increasingly recognize that digitalization should
support broader social and cultural changes—especially socio-ecological
transformations—that aim to lead societies toward a more sustainable future (e.g.,
Koundouri et al. 2023). However, the specific importance of new digital
technologies and innovations—alongside other societal changes and
developments—remains largely unclear and is rarely the subject of thorough
investigation (Steig et al. 2025; Westerlaken 2024). A widespread optimism can be
observed regarding the potential and ability of digitalization in the face of urgent
socio-ecological problems such as the climate crisis and growing social injustice
worldwide (Mouthaan et al. 2023; Tabe-Ojong et al. 2024). Yet critical questions
remain: what are the actual contributions and the intended and unintended impacts
of digitalization on science and on science-society interactions within these
complex and long-term socio-technical change processes? To what extent can
digitalization truly be considered an enabler of a sustainable future?
The transformative effects of the digitalization of science are evident at various
levels, but its interactions with, and future impacts on, the broader socio-cultural
transformations of science and society remain largely unknown and call for further
research. Accordingly, the summer school will focus on the following key topics:

1. Transformations in scientific knowledge production through digitalization
2. Transformations of scientific cultures in everyday practices
3. Transformations of science-society interactions in transdisciplinary and transformative research through real-world experiments using digital twins
4. Concepts and methodologies for the assessment and governance of digital transformation activities
5. Varieties of knowledge production and their transformation through digitalization worldwide

References

_{Garske B.; Holz, W.; Ekardt, F. (2024). Digital twins in sustainable transition: exploring the role of EU data governance. Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 9, article 1303024.
Hocquet, A.; Wieber, F.; Gramelsberger, G. et al. (2024): Software in science is ubiquitous yet overlooked. Nature Computational Science, 4, 465-468.
Koundouri, P.; Landis, C.; Plataniotis, A. (2023). Contribution of Digitalization to the Sustainable Development in Europe (JRC134441). Seville: European Commission.
Mouthaan, M., Frenken, K., Piscicelli, L., & Vaskelainen, T. (2023). Systemic sustainability effects of contemporary digitalization: A scoping review and research agenda. Futures, 149, article 103142.
OECD (2020). The Digitalisation of Science, Technology and Innovation: Key Developments and Policies. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Steig, F.; Koenig, P. D.; Marquardt, J.; Oels, A., Radtke, J.; Rehak, R.; Weiland, S. (2025). Sustainability powered by digitalization? (Re-)politicizing the debate. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 21(1), article 2521181.
Storey, V. C.; Baskerville, R. L. (2025). Digitalization of the natural sciences: Design science research and computational science. Decision Support Systems, 189, article 114368.
Tabe-Ojong, M. P. Jr., Salama, Y., Abay, K. A. et al. (2024). Harnessing digital innovations for climate action and market access: Opportunities and constraints in the CWANA region. Global Food Security, 41, article 100763.
Westerlaken, M. (2024). Digital twins and the digital logics of biodiversity. Social Studies of Science, 54(4), 575-597.}

Concept

The Summer School provides PhD students with the opportunity to develop their
projects in a stimulating working atmosphere and in an international context. We
aim at an inspirational environment for learning and discussion that ensures
excellent feedback on everyone’s work. In formats such as “Lecture”, “Individual
Presentation” and “Workshop”, a varied intellectual experience shall be created. At
the same time, Donostia-San Sebastián provides participants with the opportunity
for a week of relaxed interchange, discussion and networking with experienced
scholars and other PhD students.

• Lecture: Established scholars will present their basic positions in lectures.
• Individual Presentation: This format is designed to maximize feedback for the paper givers via a structured World Café Format. Each paper will receive feedback from every attendee as well as from the senior scholars.
• Workshop: In a workshop, problems of relevance to the work of the PhD students will be addressed and discussed in small groups. Each group will be chaired by a researcher with considerable experience in the relevant field. In this intense format, the students will be able to submit and discuss their own concrete problems.

The language of the Summer School will be English. On successful completion of
the Summer School, the graduate will receive a certificate of attendance.

Registration

The Summer School is open to PhD students at various stages of progress in their
dissertation project. Please apply by sending us, at the latest by February 15th
2026, an abstract of max. 3.000 characters outlining your PhD project and in
particular the background to the problem discussed, research questions as well as
the methods and theoretical approaches to be adopted, together with a CV.
Please send your application to Bettina-Johanna Krings ∂does-not-exist.kit edu. Applicants will
receive notification of acceptance by February 20th 2026.
Participation in the course is free of charge. Unfortunately, the organizers cannot
cover any travel or accommodation costs. We would like to draw your attention to
national sponsorship institutions like the DAAD (German Academic Exchange
Service) in the case of Germany, who offer training course scholarships for
students. In some cases, there might be the option of sponsorship by KIT (KHYS).
Please contact your university’s international office for further information on
scholarships available in your country.

Organizers

Stefan Böschen (RWTH/Käte Hamburger Kolleg Cultures of Research), Bettina-Johanna Krings (ITAS/KIT), Andreas Lösch (ITAS/KIT), Hannot Rodriguez (UPV/EHU), Sergio Urueña (University of La Laguna).