- Air-L - lists.aoir.org

submission deadline approaching: Social Media Access Days in Frankfurt, Germany
by Weller, Katrin 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Social Media Access Days Social media data between research and infrastructure - sustainable archiving, cataloguing and access 17.3.-19.3.2026 Submission deadline: 31.10.2025 German National Library (Frankfurt am Main) Webseite: https://www.dnb.de/EN/smad --------------------------------------------------------------------- Social Media Access Days Social media data between research and infrastructure - sustainable archiving, cataloguing and access KEY NOTE: We are delighted to announce our keynote speaker: Prof Axel Bruns (Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane). https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/a.bruns CONFERENCE TOPICS Online platforms, especially social media platforms, are both research objects and sources of data for a variety of research approaches in the humanities and social sciences, computer science, and the natural and life sciences. The historical evolution of social media makes them a part of our digital cultural heritage. However, the processes used by institutions to archive and document social media data are still only rudimentary, not least because of their economic, social and aesthetic characteristics and the unique attributes of media technology. Researchers, research institutions and cultural heritage institutions therefore face a wide range of problems in terms of their archiving, indexing and use. Researchers who wish to work with social media data also encounter numerous new challenges, especially when fundamental changes such as the elimination of application programming interfaces (APIs) impact access to specific data from online platforms. The archiving, indexing and use of dynamic data from social media are therefore fraught with problems which researchers, research institutions, libraries and archives have to tackle in a consistent manner. Ideally, solutions to these problems should be developed cooperatively, since this requires extensive effort which would be beyond the scope of a single data community or discipline. The aim of the conference is therefore to enable libraries, archives, infrastructural facilities, research institutions and researchers to network and exchange experiences with archiving and the sustainable use of data and digital objects from social media. We explicitly welcome case studies and presentations on solutions and their practical implementation as well as reports on research findings. We are particularly interested in contributions on the following key topics: · Sustainable infrastructure for collecting and providing access to social media content · Interaction between researchers and archiving institutions · Ethical issues and best practices · Legal issues and solutions · Challenges posed by restrictive data access from social media platforms · Experiences with data access in the context of the Digital Services Act · Status and preservation of social media from an archival and cultural-historical perspective, e.g. posts, interactions, platform elements · Consolidation of collections, corpora, holdings · Metadata, data documentation and cataloguing social media data · Use of AI & LLMs for data documentation and indexing purposes · Initiatives focusing on archiving and access · Concepts for the provision and use of derivatives (aggregated or derivative formats) from social media · Experiences with the reusability of available data DATE & LANGUAGE: The conference will take place from 17 to 19 March 2026 at the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main. The main conference language is German. However, contributions can also be submitted in English. We aim to schedule all English-language presentations together in one day, if possible. SUBMISSIONS: We look forward to receiving your submissions for presentations and your proposals for tutorials, workshops or interactive formats. PRESENTATIONS/POSTERS: Please submit your proposals in the form of abstracts containing a maximum of 500 words (plus bibliographies and max. 1 illustration). Contributions can be based on research findings or personal experience and may be presented in German or English. The programme committee will decide which contributions to accept as oral presentations and which as posters. Proposals for TUTORIALS, WORKSHOPS, themed sessions and other interactive formats should not exceed two pages and should contain the following information: proposed format and realisation, language, target group (potential number of participants), motivation and goals. In addition, please tell us whether you require special technical equipment or facilities. We will then determine how these can be provided on site. Please send your submissions as a PDF document to: twarchiv(a)dnb.de<mailto:twarchiv@dnb.de> TIMELINE: Deadline for submitting abstracts: 31 October 2025 Response by 30 November 2025 Conference: 17.-19.03.2026 PARTICIPATION: The conference will take place in person at the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main. There are currently no plans to stream the event online. The participation fee is approx. 50 euros. Speakers who do not have their own travel funds may apply for up to 300 euros to cover travel and accommodation expenses (per presentation for max. one person). ORGANISATION: German National Library Frankfurt am Main Dr. Britta Woldering twarchiv(a)dnb.de<mailto:twarchiv@dnb.de> PROGRAM COMMITTEE Stefan Dietze (GESIS and HHU Düsseldorf) Dimitar Dimitrov (GESIS) Philippe Genêt (German National Library) Tatjana Scheffler (Ruhr University Bochum) Claus-Michael Schlesinger (UB der HU Berlin) Katrin Weller (GESIS and HHU Düsseldorf) Britta Woldering (German National Library) COOPERATION PARTNERS: BERD@NFDI German National Library GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences NFDI4DataScience Text+ ---- Prof. Dr. Katrin Weller (she/her) Scientific Director "Data Services for the Social Sciences" GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences Unter Sachsenhausen 6-8 D-50667 Cologne https://www.gesis.org/en/institute/staff/person/katrin.weller

1 0

'Reimagining Digital ID: learning from the South' Symposium & Art Exhibition @ Goldsmiths, University of London, 8 November
by Mirca Madianou 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

Dear AoIR members Great to see many of you in Niterói - thanks again to the organisers for a brilliant conference. Those of you in London may be interested in the following event and art exhibition at Goldsmiths, University of London on November 8th. The event is free and open to all but registration is required. Reimagining Digital ID: learning from the South A one-day event on Digital ID in Global South, refugee and UK contexts, including art exhibition launch with drawings by Karen refugees Room 137A, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths University of London November 8th, 10:15-17:00 The event marks the end of the British Academy project 'Reimagining Digital Identity among Karen refugees in Thailand' (REDID https://www.redid.net/) REDID team members (Mirca Madianou, Charlotte Hill and Hayso Thako) will share key findings in conversation with researchers studying Digital ID in Global South contexts where such systems have long been piloted. The UK government's recent announcement about the introduction of Digital ID is a call to learn from research in Global Majority contexts and consider the implications of such systems for migrants and refugees. The event will include roundtable discussions bringing together designers, academics and representatives from digital human rights groups, migrant advocacy groups and think-tanks to discuss the implications of digital ID systems in the UK. The event will also include the launch of the art exhibition of drawings and poems by Karen refugees from the Thai-Myanmar border. Through this artwork, Karen people reimagine what a fair identity system would look like from their point of view. The exhibition runs from November 1-27 in Kingsway corridor, Richard Hoggart Building, Goldsmiths - for more information see here: https://www.gold.ac.uk/calendar/?id=15599 Programme 10:15-10:45 coffee and registration 10:45-11:00 Welcome - Introduction 11:00-12:30 Panel: Infrastructuring Digital ID Speakers:   Silvia Masiero (University of Oslo), Keren Weitzberg (Queen Mary University of London), Margie Cheesman (Kings College London) and Andreas Hackl (University of Edinburgh), Mirca Madianou (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Charlotte Hill (Chiang Mai University) 12:30 - 12:45 Exhibition Launch 12:45-13:45 Lunch  13:45-15:00 Roundtable 1: Digital ID - migrant and refugee perspectives Speakers: Mallika Balakrishnan (Migrants Organise), Julia Tinsley Kent (Migrant Rights Group), Sara Alsherif (Open Rights Group), Derya Ozkul (University of Warwick) and Hayso Thako (Chiang Mai University) 15:00-15:30 Coffee break  15:30-17:00 Roundtable 2: Reimagining Digital ID Speakers: Sanjay Sharma (University of Warwick), Kim Snooks (University of Sheffield), Rachel Coldicutt (Careful Industries), Sana Farrukh (Privacy International), and REDID team members The event is supported by the British Academy through the ODA Challenge-Oriented Research Grants 2024: Societal Challenges and Approaches to Responsible Technologies, supported under the UK Government's International Science Partnerships Fund, with additional funding from the Migrant Futures Institute at Goldsmiths, University of London: https://www.gold.ac.uk/research/centres-units/migrant-futures-institute/ The event is free and open to all, but registration is necessary. Please book via this link https://www.redid.net/events. You can find directions to Goldsmiths here: https://www.gold.ac.uk/find-us/ Professor Mirca Madianou Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Goldsmiths, University of London New Cross, London SE14 6NW UK email: m.madianou(a)gold.ac.uk<mailto:m.madianou@gold.ac.uk> @madianou.bsky.social http://www.gold.ac.uk/media-communications/staff/madianou/ https://www.gold.ac.uk/research/centres-units/migrant-futures-institute/ New Book: Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful<https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=technocolonialism-when-tec…> <https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=technocolonialism-when-tec…> New Project: Reimagining Digital ID<https://www.redid.net/>

1 0

Panel on Climate Change Images - AI vs Human Translations - AISV/IAVS 2026 São Paulo
by Giglietto, Fabio 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

Dear AoIR colleagues, I'm forwarding this call for papers for a panel at the 14th Regional Conference of the Association for Visual Semiotics (AISV/IAVS), which may be of interest to those working on AI, visual culture, and climate communication. For those of us still feeling saudade after AoIR 2025 in Brazil, here's a perfect excuse to return to São Paulo in February 2026! *Panel Title:* Climate Change Images: Comparing Human Intersemiotic Translations with AI-Generated Ones *Organizers:* Tiziana Migliore (Università degli Studi di Urbino 'Carlo Bo') & Luigi Arminio (IT University of Copenhagen) *Conference:* 14th AISV/IAVS Conference - "Intersemiotic Translation before and after the Emergence of Generative AI" *Dates:* February 9-11, 2026 *Location:* São Paulo, Brazil (Escola de Comunicação e Artes, University of São Paulo) This panel explores the differences between AI-generated and human descriptions of climate-related images, examining how each approach contributes to meaning-making and creativity. The panel builds on a workshop held in Urbino that analyzed a corpus of 60 climate-related images using both human experts and AI models (GPT-4 with vision). The analysis includes similarity measures, linguistic metrics, and semiotic analysis to understand what AI and humans capture or omit in their interpretations. The panel seeks contributions that compare AI-generated image descriptions with expert human interpretations, particularly focusing on questions of enrichment vs. impoverishment in intersemiotic translation processes. *Key Dates:* - Panel proposals deadline: *August 15, 2025* (2,000 characters) - Individual paper abstracts deadline: *October 31, 2025* (1,500-1,800 characters) - Notification of acceptance: November 20, 2025 - Conference program: December 20, 2025 *Conference website:* https://aisviavs2026.sciencesconf.org/ *Contact:* aisv.iavs(a)gmail.com Please feel free to share with interested colleagues. Best regards, Fabio Giglietto -- Fabio Giglietto Professor of Internet Studies at the University of Urbino Carlo Bo Website: fabiogiglietto.github.io

1 0

ACEPS | UJ | 28 October 2025 11:00-12:20 SAST | Dr Scott Timcke | SDAAI Speaker Series
by Benton, Paige 22 Oct '25

22 Oct '25

Dear Colleagues, The African Centre for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science (https://www.uj.ac.za/aceps) at the University of Johannesburg cordially invites you to our third speaker in our October line-up: Safeguarding Democracy in the Age of AI (SDAAI)– Workshop Speaker Series. Speaker: Dr Scott Timcke (Senior Researcher at Research ICT Africa (RIA)). Title: A New Triple Burden for Democracy: AI, Capitalist Autocracy and the Demise of the Rawlsian Social Pact See: Abstract and Bio<https://www.uj.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2025-10-28-aceps-a-new-trip…> When: 28 October 2025 11:00-12:20 SAST Where: UJ on Empire, 11th Floor Boardroom and Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94547684054 Enquiries: pbenton(a)uj.ac.za Kindest regards, Paige ________________ Dr Paige Benton Post-doctoral Research Fellow African Centre for Epistemology & Philosophy of Science (ACEPS) University of Johannesburg UJ on Empire Level 5, room 15

1 0

Gender & Tech Talk Series – October 29, 11am EDT – Data Work and Political Participation
by Jess Reia 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Dear colleagues, The University of Virginia School of Data Science, in partnership with the Digital Technology for Democracy Lab, is pleased to announce the fifth session of the Gender & Tech Online Talk Series, which will take place on October 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). The “Data Work and Political Participation” talk will focus on how data labor is gendered in its structures, practices, and outcomes. Speakers will be encouraged to discuss how gendered divisions of labor are reproduced in digital economies, as well as the ways women, queer, and gender-diverse workers are disproportionately concentrated in invisible, precarious, or undervalued forms of labor that sustain platforms and AI systems. We also hope to present perspectives on how global inequalities intersect with gender to shape the conditions of platform labor and what kind of frameworks could ensure recognition, protection, and equity for workers at the core of digital infrastructures. We are honoured to welcome two keynote speakers: Milagros Miceli (DAIR Institute) Tatiana Dias (The Intercept Brasil) The webinar is free and open to the public. You can register here: https://virginia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ICG1HC1tTr6hD9AijAuaHw#/regist… The Gender and Tech Online Talk Series brings together leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners to examine the intersections of gender, technology, democracy, and human rights. Its purpose is to critically explore how digital platforms and technological infrastructures impact women, queer, and gender-diverse individuals, while also identifying pathways toward more inclusive, rights-based models of digital governance. We invite everyone interested in advancing equity and justice in tech governance to participate in this important conversation. The series is co-organized by Yasmin Curzi and Jess Reia and sponsored by the UVA School of Data Science and DTD Lab. Please feel free to circulate this announcement within your networks. Thank you! Jess and Yasmin *Jess Reia, Ph.D. (they/them)* Andrew Carnegie Fellow <https://www.carnegie.org/awards/honoree/jess-reia/> Assistant Professor of Data Science Faculty co-lead, Digital Technology for Democracy Lab <https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/digital-technology-democracy-lab>, University of Virginia Visiting Scholar, Institute for Global Public Policy <https://igpp.fudan.edu.cn/igppen/main.htm>, Fudan University 2024-2025 Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Democracy & Technology <https://cdt.org/> <https://karshinstitute.virginia.edu/> New book: Urban Music Governance <https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/U/bo245009492.html> <https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/U/bo245009492.html> reia(a)virginia.edu | https://datascience.virginia.edu/

1 0

Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case and new posts on When the Field is Online
by Janet Salmons 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Hello friends, Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case The Claims Process for Textbook & Academic Authors is Unique. Review Guidance from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association Before Filing Claims. See detailed information here: https://tinyurl.com/mwr4usr4 Diary methods, that is, a research approach that involves sending/sharing a series of questions or prompts for participants' responses over a defined period of time, are the focus for October. These are methods that work for informal as well as scholarly research. The new post: Diary Methods: Why and How? is online (https://tinyurl.com/msa9pha8) Check out the whole series: * Narratives and Diaries in Online Research: https://tinyurl.com/4emjhhzd Learn about the lived experience from first-hand accounts * Narrated Lives https://tinyurl.com/3kw5duex Using biographical methods in qualitative research Next week we'll explore found diaries and narratives, including an exciting author interview! November is Academic Writing Month, with a focus on informal ways to share research-based thinking. Subscribe so you don't miss anything (and share this link with your students): http://tinyurl.com/qualnews Have qualitative or mixed methods publications or events to share? Send them to me off-list. Take care, Janet Janet Salmons, PhD (She/her/hers) www.salmons.blog Unabhängie Forscherin, Free-Range Scholar and Creative 2024 Research Fellow, Center for Advanced Internet Studies Boulder, Colorado USA janet(a)salmons.blog<mailto:jsalmons@vision2lead.com>

1 0

Book talk "World War and World Peace in the Age of Digital Capitalism" (Christian Fuchs)
by Christian Fuchs 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

https://iamcr.org/webinars/war-peace-digitalcapitalism The International Association for Media and Communication Research’s Political Economy Section host a webinar where Christian Fuchs will introduce his book „World War and World Peace in the Age of Digital Capitalism“. When: Tuesday 18 November, 2025 @18h00 CEST/ 09h00 Los Angeles / 12h00 New York / 17h00 London / 18h00 Berlin / 20h00 Nairobi / 22h30 Kolkata. The event will last 1 hour. Registration by 16 November here: https://forms.gle/iQEUuS7VmCPmXZ48A In this talk, Christian Fuchs introduces some aspects of his book „World War and World Peace in the Age of Digital Capitalism“. World politics has become highly polarised. We live in times when a new world war has become more likely. The United Nations’ 2024 Pact for the Future expresses concerns about ”the growing risks of a nuclear war which could pose an existential threat to humanity“. Will humanity descend into barbarism and world war, or will we realise the dangers of our global problems, weapons of mass destruction, and the threats posed by a potential new world war, and a climate catastrophe in order to avoid annihilation and create perpetual world peace? The book deals with violence, world war, and world peace in global digital capitalism. It asks: How do violence and war manifest themselves in global digital capitalism? How do digital capitalism and digital technologies manifest themselves in violence and warfare? What are the prospects for world peace today? In order to prevent world war and advance world peace, we need a better understanding of war and violence and of their contexts and causes. We need to ask what war is, what violence is, what war and peace look like today and how they have changed in the 21st century. Open access and afforable paperback version of the book: DOI: https://doi.org/10.16997/mpub.13082283 Christian Fuchs. 2025. World War and World Peace in the Age of Digital Capitalism. London: University of Westminster Press. ISBN 978-1-915445-77-3 (pbk), 978-1-915445-78-0 (pdf), 978-1-915445-79-7 (epub), 978-1-915445-80-3 (mobi). 360 pages.

1 0

CFP – Shaping the Future of the Information Society: WSIS+20 and Beyond
by Joly MacFie 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

(Fwd FYI) *P&I Special Issue Call for Papers – Shaping the Future of the Information Society: WSIS+20 and Beyond* https://internet-policy-meco.sydney.edu.au/2025/09/specialissuewsis20/ At the ITU Plenipotentiary conference in 1998, a proposal was made with the question: what if the world united to shape the future of the Information Society? This question sparked a global journey towards digital cooperation. Endorsed by UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) became a cornerstone of global multistakeholder dialogue. Developing its Declaration of Principles, the WSIS Action Lines and the creation of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), WSIS laid the groundwork for an ongoing ecosystem of meetings and initiatives. Over the past 20 years, a remarkable set of achievements have shaped the world. Grassroots efforts have helped build Community Networks. Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) have dramatically improved speeds and reduced costs. We have a multilingual Internet through domain names which use non-Latin scripts, the establishment of national and regional forums have empowered local voices to contribute in discussions on digital policies, among many others. These achievements underscore that the Internet’s resilience and openness is a result of sustained and coordinated efforts across borders, sectors and actors. As we prepare for WSIS+20 in 2025, the United Nations General Assembly will reflect on our progress, assess current gaps and engage a broad range of stakeholders to shape the future of Internet governance in a rapidly transforming digital era. Therefore we invite papers that explore: *Governance Modalities and Stakeholder Dynamics* We welcome papers that critically examine the evolving architecture of Internet governance, key questions include: - *Modes of Governance and Participation: *Analyses of the WSIS+20 Review process, including its modalities, elements and drafts. - *Stakeholder Inclusion and Participation Models:* Reviewing how the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and WSIS have approached multistakeholderism, inclusion and diversity in its processes. - *Meta-participation in Digital Governance: *Exploring second-order stakeholder engagement – where stakeholders not only participate in processes, but actively shape the process itself - *Norm Development and Frameworks:* Studies on the alignment and adoption of the SDGs, Sao Paulo Principles, the GDC Frameworks and ROAM-X as normative anchors. - *Multilateralism and Multistakeholderism:* Reviewing the interplay between multilateralism andmultistakeholderism - *Global and regional multistakeholderism*: Evaluating tensions, synergies and practical implications in decision-making *Institutional Futures in Internet Governance* We invite contributions that address the evolution and future of key institutions shaping Internet governance: - *Preserving and Evolving the IGF:* The future of multistakeholder governance through the IGF and its potentially renewed mandate - *Developing Institutional Architectures:* Reevaluating the changing role of different offices such as the UN Tech Envoy’s office/ODET, and proposals for new bodies for future governance. - *Evolving institutions:* Reflecting on ICANN’s role in the evolving governance ecosystems and its place in future frameworks. - *Governing Artificial Intelligence:* Proposals for new spaces or mechanisms to coordinate global AI governance across stakeholders. *User-centric Perspectives in Internet Governance: Exploring Internet use and its socioeconomic consequences* We invite contributions that are user-centric and/or address topics related to the WSIS Action Lines: - Digital Inclusion and Equity - User rights - Behavioural and psychological impacts - Economic and labour transformations - Education - Cultural and language diversity - Data sovereignty - Topics related to the WSIS Action Lines *Submission Guidelines:* Please send through your title and 300 word abstract to Jonathon Hutchinson [jonathon.hutchinson(a)sydney.edu.au] and Nadia Tjahja [nadia.tjahja(a)vub.be] with the subject line: “Policy & Internet Special Issue” by 2 November 2025. - Abstracts: up to 300 words - Abstract deadline: 2 November - Full papers: 6000-8000 words - Full paper Deadline: 1 March 2026 -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

1 0

International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026): First Call for Workshop Proposals
by Announce 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

*** First Call for Workshop Proposals *** International Conference on Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration (VARIABILITY 2026) 29 September - 2 October 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/home/variability-2026<http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/~george/GPLists_2021/lm.php?tk=YWlyLWwJCQlhaXItbEBs…> VARIABILITY is a new conference that has been merged of three prominent conferences focussing on software and systems variability, configuration and reuse: SPLC (the International Systems and Software Product Line Conference, 29 successful editions, ranked as a top conference), VaMoS (the International Working Conference on Variability Modelling of Software-Intensive Systems, 19 successful editions), and ICSR (the International Conference on Systems and Software Reuse, 22 successful editions). We invite you to submit proposals for half-day or full-day workshops in any area related to the field of Software and Systems Reuse, Product Lines, and Configuration, all of which fall under the broader area of Variability. In particular, workshops on challenging, emerging areas related to the conference topics are especially sought. We particularly encourage workshop proposals for highly interactive and collaborative workshops, rather than mini-conferences, e.g., apart from the traditional short and long papers, consider allowing position papers with only one page (not included in the proceedings) and focus on a lively discussion after the presentation, to foster new ideas and gather feedback (rather than just defending the presented work). The expected date of the workshops will be the September 29th, 2026, before the main track of the conference. Submissions / Publishing VARIABILITY workshop papers will be published in a volume of the conference proceedings published by Springer. Moreover, a one-page summary of each accepted workshop will be published in the proceedings as well. Workshop proposals should be authored by at least two organizers, preferably from different institutions, and they should contain the following three sections and address each corresponding point: 1. Organizers • Name: organizers’ full names • Contact information: affiliations, job titles, postal addresses, e-mail addresses, URLs, and phone • Brief biography: 100-200 words, focusing on the organizers’ expertise in the field and experience as workshop organizers 2. Workshop Content • Title: workshop title and acronym • Abstract: max 150 words describing the workshop (suitable for the conference’s website) • Tentative Website URL • Topics and motivation: • What are the topics, themes, and areas of interest of the workshop? • How is the workshop relevant to VARIABILITY? • How does the workshop connect VARIABILITY to other research communities? • Goals and expected results: • Explicitly state the goals of the workshop and how you intend to reach them • What are the expected results of the workshop? • How will these results be disseminated? • Format: • What is the planned workshop format (paper presentations, working sessions, invited talks (please note here that such talks are not financially supported by the conference), lightning talks, demonstrations, etc.)? • To avoid duplicated topics and cancellations, did you coordinate with or (plan to) merge workshops on the same/similar topics from previous years (if there are any)? • What will be done to stimulate collaborative interaction? • What are the planned pre- and post-workshop activities? • Participants: • What is the expected number of submissions and participants? Provide a plan for attracting sufficient submissions and promoting attendance • If applicable, please provide information from previous or related workshops. Have there been previous workshops on the same or a closely related topic? When, where and with how many participants? • Special room equipment (please note that VARIABILITY conference and the workshops are in-person events) like flip charts, microphone, etc. • Do you plan for a half-day or full-day workshop? • Program Committee: list of tentative program committee members, names and affiliations 3. Preliminary Call for Papers This will necessarily repeat some of the information from the previous sections but should be targeted towards prospective participants. It should address the following items: • Overview of the motivation, topics, and goals • Workshop format • Deadlines of the workshop (see dates in this call for proposals) • Submission guidelines and review process • References to previous workshops (websites) • Dissemination campaign to distribute the CFP 4. References to previous workshops (websites) Submission Instructions Please send your workshop proposals using EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=variability2026<http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/~george/GPLists_2021/lm.php?tk=YWlyLWwJCQlhaXItbEBs…> A workshop proposal must be at most 4 pages long. Submissions must follow the Springer guidelines: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…<http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/~george/GPLists_2021/lm.php?tk=YWlyLWwJCQlhaXItbEBs…> Relevant supporting material, such as proceedings from previous editions of the proposed workshop or other workshops organized by the proposal authors, should be included if available but are not required for submission. Acceptance Criteria Each workshop proposal will be evaluated according to the relevance of its topic, the expertise and experience of the workshop organizers, and the workshop’s potential for attracting participants and generating useful results. We underline the importance of active and creative workshops that foster a collaborative environment of interest to both practitioners and researchers, aiming, e.g., to evolve the field of Variability and to identify elements of joint future work. To obtain a balanced and cohesive workshop program, the Organizing Committee will collaborate closely with workshop organizers and reserves the right to circulate proposals to other submitters in view of possible workshop mergers. The organizers of accepted workshops will be required to create and maintain a website in a timely manner to serve as a workshop information center and to provide a repository for documenting pre- and post-workshop activities. At least one author of each accepted proposal must register and attend VARIABILITY 2026 in order for the workshop to be accepted and the summary of the workshop published. The submission and review platform for workshop papers will be the one for the main conference (i.e., all workshops will be as different tracks under the same Easy Chair installation). Important Dates (AoE) • Workshop Proposals: 2 March 2025 • Notification of Acceptance: 16 March 2026 • Workshop Papers Submission: 15 June 2026 • Workshop Papers Notification: 7 July, 2026 • Camera-Ready Version Submission: 14 July, 2026 • Workshop Summary: 14 July, 2026 • Author Registration: 14 July, 2026 Organisation General Chairs • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus • Gilles Perrouin, FNRS & University of Namur, Belgium Research Track Chairs • Thorsten Berger, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany • Ina Schaefer, KIT, Germany Industry Track Chairs • Shaukat Ali, Simula Research Lab and Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany Journal First Track Chairs • Mathieu Acher, University Rennes, Inria, CNRS, IRISA, France • Xhevahire Tërnava, LTCI, Télécom Paris, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France Doctoral Symposium Track Chairs • Rick Rabiser, LIT CPS, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria • Iris Reinhartz-Berger, University of Haifa, Israel Demos and Tools Track Chairs • Sandra Greiner, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark • Leopoldo Teixeira, Federal University of Pernambuco Projects Showcase Chairs • Daniel Struber, Chalmers, University of Gothenburg, Radbound University, Sweden • Dalila Tamzalit, Nantes Université, France Hall of Fame Chairs • Martin Becker, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany • Goetz Botterweck, Lero - The Irish Software Research Centre and University of Limerick, Ireland • Natsuko Noda, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan Workshops Chairs • Lidia Fuentes, Universidad de Malaga, Spain • Malte Lochau, University of Siegen, Germany Tutorials Chairs • Loek Cleophas, Eindhoven University of Technology and Stellenbosch University, The Netherlands • Mahsa Varshosaz, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark Proceedings Chair • Sophie Fortz, King's College London, UK Publicity Chairs • Wesley Assunção, North Carolina State University, USA • Kentaro Yoshimura, Hitachi Ltd, Japan Local Organiser and Finance Chair • George A. Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

1 0

Symposium on ‘Decentralised Technologies and Global Chinese Communities’ (27 Oct)
by Tom McDonald 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Symposium on ‘Decentralised Technologies and Global Chinese Communities’ https://sociology.hku.hk/dtgcc Date: Monday 27 October 2025, 9am-6pm HKT (GMT +8) Location: Hybrid * In person: Social Sciences Chamber, 11/F., The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus The University of Hong Kong * Online via Zoom Register via: https://sociology.hku.hk/dtgcc Join us for a dynamic symposium exploring the transformative impact of decentralised technologies—such as blockchain, DeFi, DAOs, and cryptocurrencies—on global Chinese communities. This event will examine how these communities are reimagining networks, identities, and cultural practices through decentralisation, often challenging Western-centric narratives and fostering innovative, community-based models rooted in Chinese cultural and political contexts. Topics include grassroots experimentation, state-aligned visions of decentralisation, and the development of infrastructure, from mining operations to digital currencies, that underpin these technologies’ social and economic dimensions. Bringing together leading scholars from STS, media, communication, and anthropology, this symposium aims to deepen understanding of how decentralised systems intersect with Chinese transnational communication, societal organization, and historical traditions of decentralisation and explore their innovations and tensions. Participants will explore the ideological, infrastructural, and everyday practices shaping decentralised ecosystems, highlighting Chinese contributions to technological innovation and cultural transformation. This event offers a rich platform for discussing the role of decentralised technologies in shaping new publics, media systems, and transnational networks within Chinese contexts and beyond. Keynote speakers * Ellie Rennie — RMIT University/ADM+S * Janet Roitman — RMIT University/ADM+S * Nicholas Loubere — Lund University * Wang Jing — NYU Shanghai Additional speakers * Andrew Mak — Web3 Harbour * Fan Jia — City University of Hong Kong * Gallam Jialin Zhang — Hong Kong Shue Yan University * Helena Hang Rong — NYU Shanghai * Holy Hoi Ki Shum — Hong Kong Shue Yan University * Hou Jiaxi — RMIT University/ADM+S * Huang Sunquan — China Academy of Art * Jeremy Chiang — Renaissance College Hong Kong * Liu Yahao — Beijing Normal University * Mahdi Yousefi — Hainan Normal University * Rao Yichen — Utrecht University * Tom McDonald — The University of Hong Kong * Violeta Camarasa San Juan — Chinese University of Hong Kong * Yao Qicheng — The University of Chicago * Yu Haiqing — RMIT University/ADM+S * Yuan Yuhang — Beijing Normal University * Zelin Li - Web3 Harbour * Zhang Qikai — Fudan University Co-organisers * Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China * ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making + Society, Australia Enquiries socievent(a)hku.hk --- Tom McDonald Associate Professor Department of Sociology The University of Hong Kong mcdonald(a)hku.hk Tel: +852 3917 1105 http://sociology.hku.hk/mcdonald

1 0