Introduction

The next EU framework programme for Research and Innovation «Horizon 2020», running from 2014 – 2020 with a proposed budget of € 80 billion, is designed to secure Europe’s global competitiveness. The third part of the programme «Societal Challenges» refers explicitly to social sciences and humanities research that is considered to be an important element for addressing the challenges outlined in the document by the EU Commission (see link below). The conference will focus on one of the core challenges entitled «Inclusive, Innovative and Secure Societies».

Structure

Four key note speakers in the morning will inform the SSH researchers in Switzerland about the structure and context of the EU’s next framework programme, pointing out Swiss and EU interests and expectations with regard to «Horizon 2020». Best practices based on experiences gained in earlier framework programmes will also be outlined. In the afternoon, five workshops will examine the main topics of the SSH Challenge 6, that is to say «Inclusive Societies», «Intelligent Growth», «EU as a Global Actor», «Diversity, Beliefs and Values» and «Sustainable Growth». The main items on the agenda are to discuss the strengths and the potential of Swiss SSH research from a national and an international point of view, to identify mutual interests of the EU and Swiss SSH researchers and to define possible research questions. The conference aims to contribute to the integration and formulation of SSH concerns in «Horizon 2020» and to the integration of SSH research in Switzerland with a view to future proposal submissions. The crucial issues raised in the discussion may have an impact on the composition of the work programmes. The conference will conclude with a closing panel discussion that aims to define the next steps to be taken.

Conference languages are German, French and English. Translations cannot be provided.

Timing
09.15 – 09.30    Welcome by the organisers (SAGW, Euresearch) – reasons for, aim and structure of the event  (SAGW: N.N., Olivier Küttel)
09.30 – 09.50    ”Dos and Don’ts in FP Research: Experiences with the past and current SSH programmes (Regina Schneider)
09.50 – 10.05    Questions, Discussion
10.05 – 10.35    Horizon 2020 – EC Expectations for SSH: Information on content and structure of the new challenge(s), timing, possibilities for SSH as well as interests and expectations of the EC with regard to the SSH contributions to these challenges (as per May 2012) (Robert Burmanjer)
10.35 – 10.50    Questions

10.50 – 11.10    Coffee Break

11.10 – 11.40    Internal Perspective: Strengths and Potential of Swiss SSH Research with regard to Horizon 2020 (Walter Leimgrube, SNSF Div. I)
11.40 – 11.55    Questions
11.55 – 12.30    External Perspective: Strengths and Potential of Swiss SSH Research with regard to Horizon 2020 (Rüdiger Klein, Executive Director, ALLEA)
12.30 – 12.45    Questions

12.45 – 14.00    Lunch

14.00 – 14.20    Short presentation of the parallel workshops (Workshop moderators)
14.20 – 14.30    Transfer to the different workshops
14.30 – 16.00    Parallel workshops to the 5 selected topics all with the same pattern:

• Input 1 (interests and expectations, strengths and potential), 10 min
• Input 2 (interests and expectations, strengths and potential) 10 min
• Open Discussion Workshop speakers and moderators (see list below)

16.00 – 16.15    Coffee Break

16.15 – 16.45    Short reports from the 5 workshops Moderators
16.45 – 17.45    Panel Discussion on “Next Steps: what needs to be done? And who is going to do it?“ Key-note speakers on EC, internal + external perspectives + SNSF representative (international relations)

17.45 –    Aperitif

List of contributors

Plenary Speakers:

Dr. Robert Burmanjer, DG Research, Head of Unit
Dr. Rüdiger Klein, Executive Director of All European Academies
Dr. Olivier Küttel, Euresearch, Director, National Point Co-ordinator
Prof. Dr. Walter Leimgruber, President of the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF, Division I: SSH
Dr. Regina Schneider, National Contact Point SSH, SiS & Security
N.N. (SAHS)

Workshop Contributors:

I Inclusive Societies
Prof. Dr. Peter Farago, Director of the Swiss Foundation for Research in Social Sciences (FORS)
Prof. Dr. Dominique Joye, Institut des sciences sociales, Université de Lausanne
Prof. Dr. Pasqualina Perrig-Chiello, Institut für Psychologie, Universität Bern

II Inteligent Growth
Prof. Dr. Anne-Claude Berthoud, Centre de linguistique et des sciences du langage, Université de Lausanne
Dr. Wolfgang Mackiewicz, European Language Council
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Landfester, Deutsche Sprache und Literatur, Universität St. Gallen

III EU as a Global Actor
Prof. Dr. Laurent Goetschel, Europainstitut, Universität Basel
Prof. Dr. Sandra Lavenex, Politikwissenschaftliches Institut, Universität Luzern
N.N.

IV Diversity, Beliefs and Values
Prof. Dr. Christoph Conrad, Unité d’histoire contemporaine, Université de Genève
Prof. Dr. Madeleine Herren, Historisches Seminar, Universität Heidelberg
Prof. Dr. Barbara Naumann, Deutsches Seminar, Universität Zürich

V Sustainable Growth
Prof. Dr. Paul Burger, Philosophisches Seminar, Programm Nachhaltigkeitsforschung, Universität Basel
Dr. Michael Stauffacher, Institute for Environmental Decisions, ETH Zürich
N.N.