Information on Participants (Regardless of Funding Source)

Total number of young researchers⁴,

who are nationals of, and active inside, a Member or an Associated State⁵

45

who are nationals of, but active outside, a Member or an Associated State⁵

0

Total number of researchers of any age³ who are nationals of,

and active inside, a Member or an Associated State⁵

56

and active outside, a Member or an Associated State⁵

0

the New Independent States (N.I.S.)⁸

0

the USA

1

Japan

0

SCIENTIFIC REPORT (PART 2)

European Commission

Research DG

Human Potential programme

High-Level Scientific Conferences

Scientific Report

Contract No

HPCF-CT –2001-00210

Event No ¹

3

Summary (maximum 2 pages)

Scientific Highlights:

The series of Euro Summer School (2002-4) events entitled “Communication: Media, Social Interactions and Social

Representations” continue the 1995-2000 cycle on “Social Representations and Communication”. These high-level, intensive international didactic seminars are an essential part of research training for  post-graduate students enrolled in the European PhD on S.R. & C. and for Marie Curie Fellows. They are also open to a select number of young researchers from all countries. The 10° International Summer School on SR &C, entitled "SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND COMMUNICATION IN THE NEW SCENARIOS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. Is it possible to change risk behaviour?” follows the successful editions started in 2001 with the 7^th International Summer School on “Communication: Language, Representations, Interactions”, followed by the 2002 and 2003 8^th and 9^th International High level Scientific Conference respectively dedicated to “New Media: Nets and Internet” and to “Communication studies and Social Representations: a Theoretical and Methodological Dialogue through Research”.

These events accomplished the identified goals of this cycle of International Summer Schools dedicated to “Communication: Language, Representations, Interactions”:

·       to widen participants’ knowledge of the theories, methodologies and applications of Communication Studies in relation to the  Social Representations paradigm

·       to develop technological expertise on communication and interaction  in “face-to-face”, mediated and virtual contexts

·        to provide multidisciplinary and multi-methodological research training for participants

·        to maintain the Summer School’s role as the leading European forum for state of the art research and research training

As regards scientific content, the 2004 International Summer School offered critical analysis and discussion of the relations between Communication, Media and Social Representations, developing a multidisciplinary theoretical framework and multi-methodological approach. Exemplary studies of different theoretical models were presented looking at the added value when social psychological empirical research on communication is examined in the light of economic psychology, political psychology, and science communication.

Training:

The daily programme of the International Summer School followed a well-tested didactic formula that integrated:

·  keynote lectures in the plenary session by internationally recognised scientists in multidisciplinary areas (like organisational psychology, cultural studies, human rights, epistemology of knowledge, social psychology and media studies, experimental social psychology and political psychology) to be transmitted in a later stage in streaming videos on the web and diffused in DVD-D digital support;

·  significant contributions by the Head of La Sapienza International Relations Division, as representative of the host University, aimed at providing an expert overview of the programmes funded by the EC and  the Ministries in order to improve participant’s knowledge about how do research through international co-operation and how to deal competitively with resource management  on a global scale;

·  parallel workshops focussed on  presentations relating to current projects of researchers and related interactive training sessions based on open discussion and feedback. Three parallel group seminars were focussed on the specific topic of this International Summer School or dedicated to the presentation of research reports by  students currently enrolled in the European doctoral programme (including the new outstanding candidates admitted for  academic year 2004-2005), those selected as Marie Curie Fellows as well as a number of other young researchers enrolled in national doctoral programmes outside the network.  Following the suggestion of  Programme Director Serge Moscovici, this is the third year that the participants enrolled into the Euro Ph.D. programme attended a special training session reserved for them to share advise about their projects, as a monitor system, and to reinforce their sense of belonging to our institutional scientific community.

·  an advanced methodological training on classical meta-analysis;

·  presentations of the multimedia tools on the web site and advanced training session on meta-theoretical analysis of S.R. corpus;

·   live interviews with the protagonists of the scientific field, “Between autobiography and the biography of the Social Representation theory”;

·   individual and group tutoring and co-tutoring;

·   dedicated meetings among the European Ph.D. and the Marie Curie Fellows, Tutors and the Scientific co-ordinator;

·     informal meetings among all the participants alongside the swimming pool at the Hotel La Meridienne or during the visits to Rome and the Roman hill towns of Genazzano and Palestrina;

·   monitoring and evaluative sessions for the whole event.

As in previous International Summer Schools on Social Representations, face-to-face interaction between participants was a fundamental characteristic of the event.  Indeed, one of the main goals of Summer School activities was to involve participants in different learning sessions, ensuring that they were not mere onlookers but also drawn into the learning method and sharing what they have learned from their training in their own country. The activities involved in Euro PhD Summer School, (i.e., parallel workshops, forum discussions, roundtable discussions, informal meetings, plenary lectures and additionally this year live interviews with the protagonists of the scientific field) are particularly conducive to this kind of interaction.  Interaction between teaching staff and young researchers was particularly encouraged and the possibility of individual meetings between invited speakers and participants was programmed into the didactic structure.  As a Multipartner Marie Curie Training Site, participation in the International Summer Schools, part of the training for the Euro PhD on S.R. & C., was also offered to Marie Curie Fellows. In this sense, the International Summer School did benefit a select number of young researchers enrolled in doctoral studies on S.R. & C..

SCIENTIFIC REPORT (PART 2)

European Commission

Research DG

Human Potential programme

High-Level Scientific Conferences

Scientific Report

Contract No

HPCF-CT –2001-00210

Event No ¹

3

Summary (maximum 2 pages)

European Added Value (incl. Networking):

The theory of Social Representations, the field of study of the Euro PhD Summer School, originated in and spread out from Europe. With its link to the EuroPhD on SR & C, the  International Summer School has reinforced the European character of the research field and can be seen as a permanent European forum for disseminating state-of-the-art research in what has now become a multilingual, world-wide field of research.

The International Summer School’s tie to the Euro PhD on S.R. & C. has also ensured the participation of young researchers from the partner Universities of  the Euro PhD network.   In addition, a large number of young researchers have also come from outside the Euro PhD network and not only from Western and Eastern Europe, but also from outside Europe. This year again the participants (young researchers and professors) came from a wide range of different Universities and research institutions  and 17 nationalities  (40 from E.C. countries, 13 from other Associated states, 1 from USA and 2 from Brazil).

The need for the study of communication as a prerequisite for EU progress has never been stronger. The new media, particularly the Internet, have also shown how flexible collective and individual interaction has become and how out of date are the standard forms of mass communication. However, only a few networks, such as the Euro PhD on Social Representations and Communication network, have regularly been able to integrate open distance learning and virtual mobility with intensive seminars that include physical mobility. 

As recognised  Marie Curie Multipartner Training Site and selected as  a “best practice” for its European doctoral programme by DG Education and Culture, this network is  a model for aspiring networks of a similar nature and needs to be encouraged and further developed.

Furthermore, the Marie Curie Fellows selected this year participated in the International Summer School as part of their doctoral training.

In brief, the participants in this event are not only diverse in provenance (country and institution), but also have diverse research interests within the specialised field of Social Representations and Communication.

Additional Information:

Chosen as the site of the event, Genazzano is located about 45 km from Rome.  It is situated on the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful landscape and is distinguished by the presence of interesting medieval ruins and works of art and of the International Centre of Contemporary Art (CIAC) located at Castello Colonna. This year, for the second time, the International Summer School was held at the magnificent Castle of Genazzano, a remarkable example of Renaissance architecture formerly belonging to the noble Colonna family. The Castle has been made available to the Euro Ph.D. on Social Representations and Communication by the Mayor of Genazzano in agreement with the Rector of the co-ordinating university, the University of  Rome  “La Sapienza”  for  important scientific activities, such as the annual International Summer School.  Informal communication and a friendly atmosphere were facilitated by the fact that guest speakers and tutors spent most of their time under the same roof as the conference participants, both for scientific activities at Castello Colonna and in the relaxing Hotel La Meridienne

The videorecordings of the lectures and seminars plus the didactic material in PDF Format of the 10^thInternational Summer School will be made available online, in digital format, at: http://www.europhd.psi.uniroma1.it/schools/ss10.htm

We wish to inform that the we are aware of the fact that slightly more than one third of the total number of participants are nationals of the same country (56 participants, 1/3 = 18.67. Number of participants from the same country= 19 Italians). This unbalanced situation is a result of the last minute cancellation of some candidates (1 expected from Bulgary, 1 from Greece, 1 from Portugal, 1 from Serbia, 1 from Germany and 1 from Dominican Republic) , and of a few foreign invited teachers, due to unexpected health and strike at the Fiumicino airport (2 expected from France and 1 from Spain). During the selection of applicants, we respected the criteria of nationality, but were confronted with this difficulty when selected candidates cancelled their participation,  as we didn’t want to have to cancel the participation of already accepted Italian candidates.

SCIENTIFIC REPORT (PART 3)

European Commission

Research DG

Human Potential programme

High-Level Scientific Conferences

Scientific Report

Contract No

HPCF-CT –2001-00210

Event No ¹

3

Public Outreach² (maximum 1 page)

The Scientific programme of the X International Summer School on SR &C, entitled "SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND COMMUNICATION IN THE NEW SCENARIOS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. Is it possible to change risk behaviour?” accomplished the identified goals of this cycle of International Summer Schools dedicated to “Communication: Language, Representations, Interactions”:

§       to widen participants’ knowledge of the theories, methodologies and applications of Communication Studies in relation to  the  Social Representations paradigm

§       to provide multidisciplinary and multi-methodological advanced research training for participants

§       to develop technological knowledge about communication and interaction  in ‘face to face’, mediated and virtual contexts

§       to maintain the International Summer School’s role as the leading European forum for state of the art research and research training in Social Representations and Communication studies.

The International Summer School’s link with the European PhD on S.R. & C. and the So.re.Com.Thematic network ensured participation by young researchers not only from the 13 partner Universities in the European PhD network, but from a wider range of Universities and research institutions  and 17 nationalities  (40 from E.C. countries, 13 from other Associated states, 1 from USA and 2 from Brazil). In fact the programme was also open to post-graduate doctoral students from any country, not just the EU. As with previous International Summer Schools, interaction between researchers of different nationalities from EU Member and Associated States has been encouraged, as well as the participation of a few researchers working outside Europe (mainly from Latin America and the USA). Beginning in 2001, as a Marie Curie Training Multi-Partner Organisation,. participation in the International Summer Schools - as part of the training for the Euro PhD on S.R. & C. – has been also offered to Marie Curie Fellows.

As regards scientific content, the 2004 International Summer School offered critical analysis and discussion of the relations between Communication, Media and Social Representations, developing a multidisciplinary theoretical framework and multi-methodological approach. It has been specifically dedicated to the theme of “risk”, chosen because of its importance becoming increasingly and dramatically relevant as a global societal issue with a multidisciplinary perspective: political, socio-economic, informational, etc. This topic is also clearly relevant to be studied as a social representation. Exemplary studies of different theoretical models were presented looking at the added value when social psychological empirical research on communication is examined in the light of sociology, political psychology, cultural studies, epistemology and history of science.

Beside the participation of the Teaching staff belonging the European PhD on S.R. & C  network, internationally recognised scientists in social psychology,  political psychology, media studies and  methodology in social sciences have been invited as guest lecturers. Three parallel group seminarsfocussed on the specific topic of this International Summer School or dedicated to the presentation of research reports by students currently enrolled in the European doctoral programme (including the new outstanding candidates admitted for academic year 2004-2005), those selected as Marie Curie Fellows as well as a number of other young researchers enrolled in national doctoral programmes outside the network.  In addition the participants enrolled into the Euro PhD programme attended a special training session reserved for them to share advise about their projects, as a monitor system, and to reinforce their sense of belonging to our institutional scientific community. The three parallel Small Group Seminars were:

1.      Monitoring European Ph.D. advanced and new research projects (moderated by: A.S. de Rosa,  E. Lage, A. Pepitone)

2.      Communication (moderated by: B. Orfali, Celso de Sa)

3.      Societal Issues (moderated by: L. Baugnet, Denize Cristina de Oliveira)

In answer to the methodological training need of doctoral students and young researchers, several advanced training sessions were organized: an advanced methodological training on classical meta-analysis and a co-ordinating training session on meta-theoretical analysis of the S.R. corpus. Moreover during this edition the Euro PhD Alumni project launched in the previous year was further developed and the new programmes have been announced:

1) the project for the 20th cycle of  the Doctoral Programme at the University of Rome " La Sapienza"; 2) submission of the complete proposal for the SoReCom Thematic Network.  This will bring together 96 Institutional Partners including universities, scientific, professional and international associations, foundations and enterprises specialising in e-learning.  These are located in 30 European Countries with representative partners on five continents; 3) the project launched by the European University Associations action concerning the doctoral programme; 4) the large infrastructure project submitted to the MIUR (Italian Ministry for Education, Universities and Research) to provide the Euro PhD Research Centre and Multimedia lab with all equipment needed to implement the Virtual Library project; 5) the proposal for the new multi-year series of the Euro PhD on S.R. & C: International Lab Meeting and Advanced ResearchTraining.