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Launch of the Creating Publics Research Project

including keynote lecture by Professor Lawrence Grossberg

This event took place on 26th March 2012 at 2:00pm (13:00 GMT)
Berrill Lecture Theatre, The Open University, Walton Hall Campus, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

At a time when funders, activists, policy makers, scholars and others are increasingly calling for forms of publicly engaged social science research, CCIG launches a new Research Project: Creating Publics. The project, driven by Nick Mahony, will investigate what is at stake in public engagement, reassess how it is being conceptualized and collectively test-out and innovate new approaches to practice.

This launch event on 26 March will also be the occasion to inaugurate the 2012 Creating Publics Keynote Lecture Series. For this, our first keynote speaker will be Lawrence Grossberg (University of North Carolina) who will explore the following: “Practices of Knowledge in a Complex World: Experiments in collaboration and conversation”.

Those viewing online will be able to post questions and comments, which will be relayed live to the event. The launch will be followed by a drinks reception.

2.00-2.05       Welcome: Professor Jef Huysmans (Director of Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance)

2.05-2.10       'Public Engagement and the The Open University'
Professor Tim Blackman (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Research, The Open University)  

2.10-2.20     Introduction to the Creating Publics project
Dr. Nick Mahony (Research Fellow, Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance)

2.20-3.10     Keynote lecture: 'Practices of Knowledge in a Complex World: Experiments in collaboration and conversation'
Professor Lawrence Grossberg (University of North Carolina)

While there are many conversations about the university under attack, I want to begin with the uncertainties of knowledge itself—the result in part of attacks from both the left and the right, but more importantly, from the very practices that worked so well for the past century.  Cultural studies, as I understand it, begins with a responsibility to its context, a responsibility expressed in its effort to produce the best knowledge possible.  But that means transforming the material practices and social relations of intellectual labor, experimenting in new collaborations, imagining new conversations and rearticulating the university as an institution.

3.10-3.20     Response
Professor Janet Newman (The Open University)

3.20-4.00     Q & A
(those viewing online will also be able to post questions and comments, which will be relayed live to the event)

4.00-5.00     Drinks reception

Registrations: socsci-ccig-events@open.ac.uk

For further information see: http://www8.open.ac.uk/ccig/about/projects/creating-publics

Select from replays below:

2:00 pm Welcome & Keynote lecture
3:10 pm Response & Q&A

The webcast was open to 400 users