SCE research invited to NITIM International Graduate School
In June 2014, SCE research made its contribution to NITIM (Networks, Information, Technology and Innovation Management) International Graduate Research School in Bergamo, Italy.
The NITIM Doctoral School provides a unique European graduation and research program for interdisciplinary PhD candidates. Twice a year the academic partners invite faculty and Phd candidates for intensive courses. Thanks to the SCE PhD research project "Innovation networks in disaster management", a European Marie Curie Graduate School Grant supports and empowers NITIM since 2013. In consequence, new participants from several countries were included and conceptual upgrades have seen the day. 31 PhD candidates and 21 faculty members attended the colloquium, and for the first time, a Lead Lecturer was invited to the Summer School in Bergamo in order to adress a focal theme. Scott Cunnigham (TU Delft) smoothly took the opportunity to insert a new conceptual backbone to the chosen topic "Complexity and dynamics of networks in a digital age". The individual tracks for presentation and discussion of PhD research projects were complemented by four sequential plenary sessions which introduced different academic concepts of networks and complexity for technology and innovation management.
Christina Weber, Head of research at SCE, was invited to offer a plenary on "Structure, Networks and Systems", presenting actor-network theory as used in her research on emerging networks in disaster management. The analysis, complemented with critical incident technique for sequential mapping, lead her to new insights regarding the role of media usage in global relief.
SCE is a founding member of NITIM and is involved from the beginning in the Munich group of the academic network. Recently, local research groups of NITIM are led in Leiden, Münster and Barcelona. The network is European in its origin and has a global radius.
With regards to the two main fields of SCE research, innovation management and entrepreneurship education, the center focuses on collaborative research in different academic networks. "NITIM has grown fast because of a strong commitment and a most vital exchange, personally as virtually. We appreciate to be part of this unique academic learning cluster", so Christina Weber.
For the members of the SCE research department, the first part of the year has been finished with successful presentations on conferences (ISPIM, ICSB, ICE) and Graduate Schools. The second part of 2014 will bring activities back home. A new "Night of writing" and an intensive Workshop on Qualitative Research Methods and Coding with ATLAS.ti will be organized in autumn at SCE and MUAS itself.