News from Nowhere is a utopian novel written in 1890 by William Morris. Morris imagined a world in which human happiness and economic activity coincided. He reminds us that there needs to be a point to labour beyond making ends meet. Capitalism, he explains, locks the capitalist into a horrible life, which leads nowhere but the grave. Morris’s utopian society has no government nor a monetary system. Craftwork has made “wage slavery” obsolete, and parliamentary democracy has given way to new forms of cooperation. The means of production are democratically controlled, and people find pleasure in sharing their interests, goals and resources. Is now the utopian vision of Morris within reach?

When
The summer school includes four full days: 20/07, 21/07, 22/07, 23/07 in 2022.

Where
The summer school will take place in Kalentzi (GR), a village at the Municipality of North Tzoumerka, 30km away from Ioannina, as well as in Frasta, a village 15km away from Kalentzi.

Target group
The summer school is open to local and international PhD students from all disciplines with an interest in technology and societal issues. Master students who have accomplished the first year of their studies at their home university could also be enrolled in the programme. Excellent command of the English language is necessary.

Scope and aim
The summer school will use Morris’s News from Nowhere as a starting point of a spellbinding tour on what technology is and the alternative trajectories of techno-social development. We will discuss techno-determinism in its various forms, using classical technology critiques to understand, and see the power of, techno-development. We will then address ICT as a form of technology, debate the specific fields of media, gaming, and fashion, and look at digital governance and the smart city as well. Finally, we will explore how to create a sustainable economy through the commons, discussing the phenomenon of “cosmolocalism”.

Summer school coordinator and organiser
The coordinator is Prof. Vasilis Kostakis. The summer school is organised by the P2P Lab of Tallinn University of Technology. It is also supported by the FinEst Centre.

Facilitators
The summer school is a theoretical and hands-on exploration of alternative techno-social trajectories. The theoretical exploration will be facilitated by Prof. Wolfgang Drechsler, Prof. Vasilis Kostakis and Dr. Christina Priavolou. The hands-on exploration will be facilitated by Boulouki and will include a workshop on traditional tar production technology and its potential implications for the commons.

Fee
There is no fee.

Application
The application deadline is 10 May 2022. Positions are limited (15 students). If positions are filled up before the end of the deadline, the application round will be closed.