Schedule

Prof. Dr. Simon Fink (Georg August University of Göttingen)

Why there is no perfect form of participation – Political science perspectives on participation

Simon Fink presents political science perspectives on participation. Based on a number of key theses, he argues that although the effect of participation is important, it should not be the only criterion for successful forms of participation. Rather, various quality criteria such as fair access, fairness of discourse, and efficiency must be weighed against each other, whereby trade-offs are inevitable. The lecture also addresses the issue of openness and access: while low barriers to access appear desirable in principle, they can paradoxically lead to favoritism toward actors who are already resource-rich.
Simon Fink is Professor of the Political System of the Federal Republic of Germany at the University of Göttingen. His research focuses on comparative policy analysis, citizen participation in the energy transition, Europeanization, and technology policy

Prof. Benjamin Ewert (Fulda University of Applied Sciences)

Researching e-participation in an inter- and transdisciplinary way: methodological challenges and practical fields of application

In view of growing societal demands for transformation and rapid digital change, e-participation is gaining considerable importance. However, its academic study remains fragmented: disciplines have so far worked together only to a limited extent, key terms, concepts, and methods are inconsistent, and the conditions for access, sustainable use, and the effectiveness of digital participation formats are still insufficiently understood.
This keynote presents an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to researching e-participation. At its core is the question of how e-participation must be studied with methodological rigor and at the same time designed in a practice-oriented way in order to effectively support societal transformation processes in the application areas of health, energy, mobility, and education.
Building on the principles of inter- and transdisciplinarity, citizen science, and applied research, the keynote discusses key methodological challenges and practical fields of application across three thematic areas: (1) drivers and approaches, (2) technologies and services, and (3) capacities and transfer.
Benjamin Ewert is Professor of Health Policy and Health Professions at Fulda University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on behavioral public policy, empirical policy analysis, and social innovations.