This open seminar has the object of discussing the challenges that are facing the humanities and parts of the social sciences in a new epoch of knowledge production and dissemination.

The organizers argument is that the character of knowledge is being deeply challenged and changed in light of new forms of policies and politics of knowledge. A few characterisations could be put into play: Soft knowledge in hard times? Slow knowledge in a fast society? Pure knowledge in times of instrumentalism and pragmatism? Deep knowledge in times of superficiality? Local knowledge in times of globalisation? Premodern knowledge in
postmodernity?

Some questions to be addressed are: What kind of knowledge should the humanities produce in order to fulfil its purpose in society? What concept of knowledge is appropriate for humanities with regard to its basic interests of knowledge? Should humanities strive for objectivism or some kind of relativism/contextualism? What concept of knowledge corresponds to how humanities are actually used in society? How is the form of knowledge of the humanities challenged by new systems of accountability and financing and how should the humanities meet these challenges?

Programme

13.00 - 13.15
Introduction and welcome notice
Jens Erik Kristensen, Head of Department of Education, School of Education, Aarhus University

13.15 - 13.30
Introduction to the theme - a glocal view on the situation for soft knowledge in hard times
Jesper Eckhardt Larsen, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, School of Education, Aarhus University

13.30 - 14.15
Performance Driving the Humanities: Implications of New Public Management on Research within the Humanities in Denmark
Mette Thunø, PhD, Pro-Dean of Research, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen

Coffee break

14.30 - 15.15
Soft Knowledge Gone Hard: Chinese Cultural Linguistics in the 1990s
Barbara Schulte, PhD in Comparative Education, Sinology and History, Research Fellow at Lund University

15.15 - 16.00
Humanistic research in hard times: Hot knowledge and soft theories
Finn Collin, Professor of Philosophy, University of Copenhagen

Entrance is free of charge.

Contact: Jesper Eckhardt Larsen (jel@dpu.dk)

The seminar is organised by Nordic Summeruniversity, Humanistisk Forum, and the research programme EPOKE at The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University