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About

Background

On 19 June 2017, representatives from a number of Swedish higher education institutions gathered at Nationella the Secretariat for Gender Research, which hosted the meeting, to discuss national organization of Feminist Technoscience. On November 16 of the same year this research platform was formally established at a meeting at Linnaeus University. The host for the platform was placed at Umeå University with Anna Croon Fors as responsible leader. The network had several meetings at various universities, including in Gothenburg, Växjö and Stockholm. Due to the pandemic, work on the research platform was paused. In the spring of 2022, Anna Croon Fors, Annika Olofsdotter Bergström and Linda Paxling met to discuss a possible new revival of the network and in consultation with Anna, Annika and Linda took over the baton to start up the network again.

Now

From november 2022 until today June 2023 we have had eight meetings with people previously involved in the network as well as new ones. We have discussed our expectations and wishes for the network, mapped out other related networks and and discussed possible network activities. We have started collaborating with existing research networks with overlapping interests. The network is continuing to grow and now have more than forty members. For the fall 2023 we plan to host an online seminar series.

Expectations and hopes for the network

  • The importance of meeting and getting to know each other and creating a sense of belonging
  • Facilitate knowledge transfer between senior and junior researchers. Personal experiences from the doctoral days of not really fitting in make the network highly relevant for junior researchers. Changes in doctoral education today have made it more streamlined and then it is important to be part of a network from the start.
  • There is sometimes a lack of respect for gender as a field of research, so the network enables a platform for increased legitimacy and rigourness.
  • Feminist technoscience often does not exist as its own subject, so there is a need to make the field visible and create stronger alliances within and between different disciplines. (A postdisciplinary discipline, Nina Lykke)
  • The network is needed to exchange knowledge and experience and create collaborations between higher education institutions.
  • Important to have a research environment as support for e.g. knowledge base for the Nordic Council of Ministers, labor market and green transition.
  • Different organizations and social functions where feminist technoscience can add important knowledge and experience.
  • Research and social impact.