The Democracy and Expertise Collaboratory (DECo)

The Democracy and Expertise Collaboratory (DECo) is a joint initiative by the ‘Padova Science, Technology and Innovation Studies Research Unit’ – PaSTIS (University of Padova, UNIPD, Italy) and the ‘Science and Technology Studies Laboratory’ – STS Lab (University of Lausanne, UNIL, Switzerland). Building on previous activities supported by the UNIL-UNIPD partnership (e.g. collaborative workshops and summer schools), DECo aims to deepen and institutionalize the integration of these research units. DECo focuses on three key themes: expert practices and technoscience, citizenship and engagement, and science in the public sphere. It is conceived to facilitate intensive collaboration through different instruments including joint workshops, short-term scientific missions, and public engagement events that can promote cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research. The expected outcomes include enhanced international research networks, joint publications, and increased societal engagement with scientific and technological innovation. DECo aspires to contribute significantly to foundational debates in STS by leveraging research on the contemporary challenges in science, technology, and society, into the exploration of long-standing STS critiques questioning the democratic accountability of technoscientific innovation. The project aims to provide valuable opportunities for early-career researchers, enriching their academic and professional development through active involvement in international research projects and collaborations.

The "Democracy and Expertise Collaboratory (DECo). A joint UNIL-UNIPD laboratory fostering the study of science in/with/for society" is a Consolidation Grant funded through the privileged partnership of the University of Padua and the University of Lausanne.

Project coordinators: Luca Chiapperino (UNIL) and Stefano Crabu (UNIPD).

Steering Group: Paolo Giardullo (UNIPD), Céline Mavrot (UNIL), Paolo Magaudda (UNIPD), Loïc Riom (UNIL), Francesco Panese (UNIL).

For any question or inquiry, you can reach us at : secretariat.stslab@unil.ch.