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Invitation to the SUMMER SCHOOL ON SOCIAL INNOVATION

10. May. 2012

Networking of international scholars and practitioners of social innovation

SOQUA Summer School 2012:

Social Innovation in Europe and Beyond.

The concept, its potential, and international trends

Vienna, July 9 – 13, 2012

 

Registration open at: http://www.soqua.net/summerschool

 

The Summer School on social innovation is labelled >SOQUA Summer School< because it is an extension of a post-graduate course programme named “Sozialwissenschaftliche Berufsqualifizierung” (social science vocational training, in short “SOQUA”: www.soqua.net) that is run in Austria jointly by three social science institutes (FORBA www.forba.at, SORA www.sora.at, ZSI www.zsi.at) since 2006. Besides the 2-year course programme in 2010 a first SOQUA Summer School was carried out on “Evidence Based Policy Making and Social Impact Assessment”, initiated and executed by SORA. In 2012 ZSI took the lead to implement for the second time a summer school rooted in SOQUA, this time on social innovation.

Based on the huge success of last year’s international conference “Challenge Social Innovation. Innovating innovation by research – 100 years after Schumpeter” (Vienna, September 19-21, 2011, www.socialinnovation2011.eu), the Summer School will be another event allowing to learn about and from social innovation. It in fact offers continuation of established networks, as well as the creation of novel exchange of knowledge and expertise opening up future collaboration among scholars and practitioners of social innovation.

Focus and composition of the faculty and participants is international: There will be a strong European core of speakers and participants, with a systematic built-in nexus to local social innovators from Austria, yet also key intelligence provided from other continents.

Participants are welcome from Austria, European and – if feasible – from other parts of the world. There is no age limit. Students are very welcome, yet we do not want to solely educate students. This Summer School also wants to involve on the one hand employed and self-employed persons that are social innovators, and those who feel their area of work calls for social innovation. On the other hand academics and scientists from various disciplines, who are or would like to become involved in social innovation research, are invited to take part in sharing scientific eagerness for knowledge and enthusiasm. “Involvement” means, we wish to bring together experts from different walks of life in an ambience which allows to learn from each other, benefiting the inquiring mind and the quest for practical experience.

 

Main topics of the programme:

Monday, July 9: Concepts of innovation, social innovation and innovation research

Tuesday, July 10: Social innovation in social science

Wednesday, July 11: Social innovation in the economic sector (for-profit business and social entrepreneurship)

Thursday, July 12: Social innovation in the public and civil society sectors

Friday, July 13: International trends and strategies

 

Additional information and events:

  • Throughout the week information will be provided and communication facilitated pertaining to organisations which successfully implemented social innovations in Vienna and neighbouring regions. Such links are established in collaboration with „SozialMarie“, the annual Austrian Social Innovation Award: www.sozialmarie.org
  • Matching between participants and local social innovators may take place in various forms: From simple connexion via online communication and information exchange, on to physical meetings at the Summer School, and – as appropriate – visits to sites of social innovation projects. Lists and contact data concerning social innovators willing to communicate and meet will be made available to registered participants.
  • Here you can find an overview and brief project information of projects awarded a SozialMarie-Prize.
  • Information concerning more nominated projects is included in three SozialMarie brochures of 2010, 2011, and 2012 (for download as attachments, below).
  • Wednesday evening: World Café with social innovators – award winners of SozialMarie – from Vienna and neighbouring regions.
  • Thursday evening: Annual Assembly of the „European School of Social Innovation“
  • Friday evening: Final social event in a Viennese wine tavern (“Heuriger” – for information please go to http://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/wine)

Registration fee:

€ 290 –  covering participation in all events of the week, information package, products and documentation of the Summer School, assistance in networking with social innovators, catering (coffee breaks) and the evening in the wine tavern.

Payment requested to:

Zentrum für Soziale Innovation

Bank Account: Unicredit Bank Austria

IBAN: AT69 1200 0006 8413 7409

BIC: BKAUATWW

Please indicate under ‘reason for payment’: SuS, KS 1017 – Thank you very much!

Limited number of participants: 40

Information and contact:

Franziska Klauser, klauser@zsi.at

Venue:

Vienna, Conference centre Schönbrunn: www.schoenbrunn-tagungszentrum.at

Video tip: „Schumpeter adopts social innovation“ http://vimeo.com/36697652

Downloads:

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