International Conference: Welfare After Digitalization

By bringing together decision-makers, interest organizations, NGO’s, citizens, journalists, educators, and researchers the conference Welfare after Digitalization will try to take stock of digitalization’s effect on the public sector.

The goal of the conference Welfare after Digitalization is to better understand what welfare has become after the digitalization of four key sectors: education, energy, health care, and law enforcement. The conference is unique in that we strive for dialogue and joint presentations to share knowledge across practices and worlds that are often separate.

Welfare after Digitalization is funded by the VELUX Foundation.

Keynote speakers

Mareile Kaufmann (28th, first day keynote): “Making Data Matter. When data, tools and humans meet in the name of law enforcement”

Mareile Kaufmann is an Associate Professor at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, University of Oslo , where she seeks to consolidate the field of digital criminology. In her work on data and surveillance practices she combines theory with innovative angles and strong empirical components, interviewing and collaborating with intelligence officers, state officials, software developers and algorithm designers, as well as social media users who were exposed to terror attacks, hackers, artists and children. She has worked on numerous European research projects. Her most recent project Digital DNA was selected for funding under the ERC Starting Grant scheme and in 2019 she received the Young Researcher Talent Grant from the Research Council of Norway. She has consulted the Norwegian Data Protection Commission, the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board and serves on the Editorial Board of Qualitative Research.

Kean Birch (29th, second day keynote): "The Strange Futures of Digital Assetization?"

Kean Birch is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Program in Science and Technology Studies and Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at York University, Canada, interested in the changing political economy of scientific research, technology, innovation, and the environment. He draws on a range of perspectives from economic geography, science and technology studies (STS), and economic sociology in order to understand how contemporary, technoscientific economies and societies are evolving and what this means for their citizens. His current research focuses on the processes of assetization and rentiership of concepts that vary from data to knowledge and loyalty. His most recent book is an edited volume with Fabian Muniesa called Assetization: Turning Things into Assets in Technoscientific Capitalism (MIT Press).

Want to participate?

To participate please apply before the deadline August 1st, 2022, at 12.00 pm CEST/UTC+2. Read more about the application process and sign up for the conference here.