Science and technology development in the last few centuries has played a fundamental role in determining the nature of humans, societies, and today’s world. Every dimension of today’s human life (anticipated or unexpected) has been affected by aspects of science and technology. Likewise, social conditions and human decisions play a role in the development of science and technology. Therefore, the theoretical studies of science, technology, and innovation can be considered interdisciplinary studies focusing on human decisions and social occasions, the development of science and technology, and theoretical, social, ethical, and legal issues interact. Questions such as: What norms and values does science as a social institution follow? What norms and values exist in the mutual relationship between science and society? and What norms and values should exist between the two? are answered in this field.
This knowledge will guide future decisions and policies in the field of science, technology, and innovation toward being compatible with Iran’s social context. Therefore, policymaking in science and technology has a social, ethical, and legal aspect, which has always been important alongside economic and political aspects.
The theoretical studies of science, technology, and innovation will study the mutual role of science, technology, and innovation, human life, and society to play a more effective role in decisions and policymaking of science, technology, and innovation.
To achieve this purpose, the group of Theoretical Studies of Science, Technology, and Innovation, on the one hand, will recognize, develop and expand basic views and theories in the field of science, technology and innovation through investigating, extracting, reflecting, and interpreting the global theories and models. And on the other hand, it will extract indigenous models by using the most up-to-date theories and methods of human science.
Since the institute’s establishment, theoretical studies of science, technology, and innovation have been conducted at NRISP. Previously, these studies were conducted in groups of “Science and Society”, “Ethics and Law of Science and Technology”, and “popularization of science”. After the restructuring of the institute in 2019, these activities have been followed in the “Theoretical Studies of Science, Technology, and Innovation” group.
The group’s main fields of research
Research in the field of policymaking in the realm of humanities and social science; and also conducting social, philosophical, and legal research about universities
PhD in Philosophy of Science
PhD in Philosophy of Science
PhD in Cultural Sociology
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