Dear colleagues and friends,
Two pieces of news about Before Ruins – the 2026 conference of stsing e.V. from 25-27 March 2026 at Ruhr University Bochum.
Before Ruins explores the evocative potentials for science and technology studies in worlds coming to an end – and in new ones beginning. The Ruhr Valley situates the conference in its extractivist past. It invites you to stand before ruins that have not yet completely deteriorated; before moments that we can still shape and that are being shaped by various actors from whom we can learn. https://stsing.org/before-ruins/save-the-date
Extended Deadlines
The call for case participation and the call for papers have been extended to December 22nd, 2025.
Please keep in mind that it will not be possible to register for the conference, if you do not participate in a case.
Call for case participation: https://stsing.org/before-ruins/list-of-cases
Call for papers: https://stsing.org/before-ruins/call-for-papers
We are looking forward to your submissions.
Keynotes and the opening panel
We are delighted to announce two keynote speakers and a star-studded panel for the conference. The two speakers are not only engaging and inspiring STS scholars but also members of the association!
*Tomás Sánchez Criado*
Ramón y Cajal Senior Research Fellow in the Social Sciences at the Open University of Catalonia’s CareNet research group (https://tscriado.org/) will open the conference on Day 1
*Prof. Endre Danyi*
Professor of the Sociology of Globalization at the Department of Social Sciences and Public Affairs at the Universities der Bundeswehr Munich (https://www.unibw.de/soziologie-en/professorship-for-sociology-of-globalization/prof-endre-danyi-1), will offer a retrospective of the conference and give us thoughts and words to take home with on day 3.
The opening panel consists of:
*Prof. Phoebe Sengers*
Department of Science & Technology Studies and of Information Science, Cornel University (https://sts.cornell.edu/phoebe-sengers)
*Prof. Sandra Mass*
International History at Ruhr University Bochum (https://www.transhist.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/tng/ueberuns/mass.html.de)
*Jun.-Prof. Tina Asmussen*
Early Modern Mining History at Ruhr University Bochum (https://www.bergbaumuseum.de/museum/mitarbeitende/kontakt-detailseite/prof-dr-tina-asmussen)
Additionally, we welcome a local practitioner for a situating of the first day:
*Prof. Dr. Uli Paetzel*
Director of the Emscher Cooperative Lippe (https://www.eglv.de/en/executive-board/prof-dr-uli-paetzel/)
For questions, reach the conference orga via stsing2026@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
The *Before Ruins* Team
