The Faculty of Arts has funded a new research focus area "Human futures" for the next three years in order to facilitate more cooperation between researchers at Arts, at other faculties and outside of Aarhus University, whose research is involved with the ways technology changes human life conditions. The list of these influences is long, and there is hardly a humanities discipline that does not have to consider its orientation of its perspective on the human condition. At present there are three core projects affiliated with the focus area: on social robotics, technology and learning and posthuman aesthetics. In addition to this the first steps have been made to create a network for researchers across Arts and beyond whose research is both anchored in a particular discipline and takes part in a wider conversation on how we can envision changes in social practices, bodily conditions and cognitive capacities and support.

Our hope is to qualify research into this wide field by creating smaller interdisciplinary fora, by engaging in graduate education and by supporting the development of new research projects. We thus invite you to the opening and first annual seminar of Human futures at Rich. Mortensen Stuen, Stakladen, on December 8-9. The seminar runs from 10-17.30 on Thursday followed by a buffet, and from 9-14.30 on Friday. On the first day of the seminar we will have 2 longer keynotes (TBA) and 12 short plenary talks (10-15 min), setting impulses and spotlights that will be further explored in break-out sessions in thematic groups on the second day. We expect to have participants from more than 10 disciplines and we hope that you will join us.

Please write tfh@cc.au.dk to sign up, preferably before October 4, or feel free to contact any of us.

Best wishes, Mads, also on behalf of Cathrine, Jacob and Johanna.