About our research
Science in Society is embedded in the Institute for Science in Society (ISIS). This research institute brings together a group of experts from various disciplines and backgrounds (science, social science and philosophy), to jointly focus on research and education at the interface of science, technology and society. Your own graduation project can either be linked to a project within the Institute for Science in Society or you may select an external institute to guide you during your graduation project.
Graduation project themes of Science in Society
Students are free to choose topics related to science in society, preferably to their main Master’s programme. Below a sample of topics that you could tackle, divided in Master’s programme to show you how your area of science relates to this specialisation:
Biology
- Conflicts about nature conservation, for example invasive species
- The relationship of natural and cultural landscapes
- Assumptions about nature in environmental policy
- Citizen and stakeholder participation in environmental policy and nature protection
- Debates about sex and gender at the interface of biology and society
- Animal sentience
- Rights of nature (animals, plants, etc.)
- Evolutionary approaches to nature-society relations
- Systems-approaches to nature-society relations
- Model organisms
Computing Science
- ICT and democracy
- Surveillance and privacy
- Algorithm biases
- Explainable artificial intelligence
- Social practices in the making of computer technology
- Societal risks and benefits of Big Data
- Applications of machine learning in the life sciences
- Influence of computer thinking in policy and society
- Mind-body relations in computer engineering
- Computer simulations and its political implications
- Globalisation and the role of information technologies and industries
- Influence of AI in financial markets
- Cryptocurrencies and blockchain
Mathematics
- Mathematical expertise in modelling and information technology
- Mathematical practices and styles of reasoning
- Mathematical explanations
- The meaning of mathematical formalism in the natural sciences
- The image of mathematics and mathematical education in our society
- Discussions about ethical dilemmas in mathematics
- Automated proofs
Medical Biology and Molecular Life Sciences
- Genome editing
- Human-directed animal experimentation and animal rights
- Decision making in the clinic
- Human trials
- Informed consent
- Sex and gender in biomedical research and clinical practice
- Patient participation, mutual learning exercises between (molecular) scientists, clinical experts and life-world experiential experts
- Societal expectations related to medical innovations
- Ethical issues around precision medicine
- Human enhancement
Chemistry
- Green chemistry and bio-based economy
- The impact of chemical innovations on modern economy
- Emergence, reduction, and the relationship of chemistry and physics
- alternative approaches to sustainable energy production
- Hazard assessment and chemical risk policy
- Natural kinds and classification issues
- The integration of chemical substance flows and economic resources
- The role of perceptions of emerging technologies and chemical risks
Physics & Astronomy
- Ontological issues of quantum mechanics
- The philosophy of causation in physics
- Social dynamics of “Big Science” and large-scale collaborations
- Experiments in astronomy
- Debates about life in outer space
- Energy as an issue between physics, economy and policy
- Physics expertise in economic and environmental policy
- Citizen science in computer-driven research
- Science fiction and its scientific and social implications
- Explaining public support for fundamental science
- Tension between applied and fundamental science