THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SCIENCE IN SOCIETY: MULTIDISCIPLINARY, EDUCATIONAL AND INTERGENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

This interdisciplinary project proposes to explore the historical, social and cultural meanings of scientific research and education within the Serbian, Yugoslavian and European context over the last two centuries. The project aims to connect these investigations with the current reflections and policies regarding the development of scientific culture of research in Serbia and the region. The key premise of this integrative approach is a strongly perceived need for a systematic scholarly and public engagement with the issues of science in society. This is felt to be especially acute an issue in the countries undergoing dramatic changes in their social, political and intellectual identities, as is the case with the Western Balkans and Serbia. To address this specificity, the investigators of the project will work to create a conceptual blueprint for understanding how social changes impacts (or has impacted) the theoretical, educational and institutional dynamics of research and science education in Serbia, and vice versa. The main objectives for the projects are: 1.Consolidation and development of existing knowledge in the social, humanistic and theoretical investigations on the status of science in society. 2.Introduction of the Science-Technology-Society (STS) approach at all levels of education for building competence among young scholars. 3.Analyzing the impact of STS education on the scientific and technology literacy of students, indispensable in modern society.