Decolonizing Technology: Philosophical Perspectives on Extraction, Dependency, and Development
Academic Research OpportunityA collaborative X-Student Research Group (funded summer semester 2026) examining how technologies sustain dynamics of extraction, dependency, and uneven development, and asking how these technological formations might be decolonized. The seminar is organized in four parts: a shared theoretical framework through classical and contemporary critiques of technology; engagement with current approaches to extractivism, dependency, and development; students' own research initiatives around theoretical debates or applied case studies; and a concluding public symposium with invited experts and student presentations.
Program
Organizers: Berlin University Alliance / Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Marvin Ester, Rodrigo Maruy
Hosts: Berlin University Alliance, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Institut für Philosophie, WE 1)
Timeframe: Summer semester 2026 (SoSe 2026); introductory session on April 13 online via Zoom
Locations: Europe, Germany, Berlin
Study Areas: Humanities, Natural and Applied Sciences, Philosophy, Social Sciences
Application
Criteria: Open to students of the BUA partner universities (Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin). The seminar welcomes students from the humanities, social sciences, and natural and applied sciences. Prior knowledge is helpful but not required.
Required Degree: No Degree
Target Degrees: Bachelor, Master's
Costs & Contact
Contact: rodrigo.maruy@hu-berlin.de