Media worlds - knowledge, information and communication in the digital revolution
Press release from 08/27/2014
As part of the event "Mediale Welten - Wissen, Information und Kommunikation im digitalen Umbruch", experts will discuss the consequences and development potential of digital communication technologies and the associated future changes to the world of work in the fields of science and research on 1 September 2014 from 1 pm at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities on Gendarmenmarkt. The joint event organised by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities is being held as part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's Year of Science 2014 - The Digital Society.
The digital revolution is having a major impact on our society. Above all, digital technologies are changing our access to knowledge and information and our communication culture. This also results in changed framework conditions for research, science communication and the dialogue between science and society.
"At our event, we want to look at both the opportunities and risks of the changes for individuals and society in the course of the digitalisation of science and research. The social aspects of knowledge transfer and communication will also be discussed and the topic of digital identity in connection with data misuse and forms of surveillance and their consequences for society will be highlighted," says Prof Dr Günter Stock, President of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
The participative communication strategies of the digital society enable new ways of communicating science in dialogue with the public. With online exhibitions and the integration of interactive image and sound elements, museums are creating new ways of enriching knowledge and experiencing education and research. On the one hand, the academies still rely on tried and tested formats of open discussion events and the publication of papers, but on the other hand they are increasingly opening up to social communication platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. How can the dialogue between science and the public and the didactic transfer of knowledge be shaped in the future?
Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, emphasises: "Digital communication technologies create simple and democratic access to knowledge and cultural content. They enable museums, libraries and archives to find completely new ways of communicating their work. At the same time, highly sensitive collections are protected because research work can increasingly take place on computers. The opportunities that this opens up are far from exhausted. Against this backdrop, the role that museums, libraries and archives will play in the virtual world and how they define their tasks in it must be constantly reassessed."
At the event, renowned experts will discuss the consequences of digitisation in debates and a panel discussion. A World Café will allow the audience to actively participate.
Further information on the event and the detailed programme can be found on the website of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities and under the SPK event notice.
Time and place:
Monday, 1 September 2014, from 1 p.m.
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Leibniz Hall
Markgrafenstraße 38
10117 Berlin
Media representatives are cordially invited to the event. Please register by e-mail. Due to the limited number of participants, it is unfortunately no longer possible to attend the visit to the Hamburg railway station.
The event is part of the Science Year 2014 - The Digital Society and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The media partner is Deutschlandradio Wissen.
Press contact of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities
Press and Public Relations
Jana Heisel / Claudia Niemann
Phone: 030 / 325 98 73 70
The Union of the German Academ ies of Sciences and Humanities is the umbrella organisation of eight science academies. More than 1900 scientists from various disciplines, who are among the nationally and internationally outstanding representatives of their disciplines, are united under the umbrella of the Academies' Union. The Union coordinates the "Academies' Programme", currently the largest research programme in the humanities in the Federal Republic of Germany. The Union promotes communication between the academies, carries out press and public relations work and organises events on current problems in science. The Academies' Union communicates with academic organisations in Germany and abroad and sends representatives to national and international academic organisations.
With its internationally outstanding museums, libraries, archives and research institutes, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK) is one of the largest cultural institutions in the world. It combines art and culture with science and research in a special way. Its collections document the cultural development of mankind in all parts of the world from its beginnings to the present day. The tasks of the SPK are the preservation and expansion of its holdings, their research and cataloguing as well as their presentation and communication to the public. Established in 1957, the foundation emerged from the collections of the Prussian state. It is supported by the federal government and all 16 federal states. The five SPK institutions are: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Geheimes Staatsarchiv PK, Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut, Staatliches Institut für Musikforschung.
Science Year 2014 - The Digital Society
The Science Years are an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) together with Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD). The digital society is a society in transition. Digital technologies permeate our everyday lives and offer a multitude of new opportunities. The Science Year 2014 - The Digital Society shows how science and research are driving this development with new solutions and is dedicated to the effects of the digital revolution.