UTFacultiesETEventsP-NUT's PhD & PDEng Day 2021

P-NUT's PhD & PDEng Day 2021

This year's edition promises to be a grand spectacle. The event will cover interesting keynote talks, discussions, and parallel workshops. The keynote speakers include Jamie Hyneman and Wim van Saarloos. Jamie Hyneman is known as one of the Mythbusters. Wim van Saarloos (former chair of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Science) will speak about the role of contemporary science. Doctoral candidates are warmly invited to participate and secure their seats (limited available) by registering now. The full program can be found here. Notice that the final program is still under development and the schedule may be subject to change. 

What the P-NUT PhD & PDEng day offers:

  • Bombastic keynote speakers
  • Parallel workshops
  • Networking opportunities with peers
  • A certificate of attendance (0.20 ECTS)
  • Drinks and dinner

Science in a Post-fact Society

This year's theme is Science in a Post-fact Society. Popular media propagates that we are living in a post-fact (or post-truth) society. In such a society, facts are reduced to irrelevant side notes and the new "truth" established from false beliefs professed by prominent individuals (e.g. via social media). Consider the recent example of social media buzzing with false reporting about the coronavirus, or the allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 USA election. Another example includes convincing fictional videos created using AI-based video and image manipulation technologies (deepfake). Common good, trust, responsibility, ethics, and civic engagement are under attack.

Topics of discussion include evidence-informed policy-making, young scientists' role and perspectives, and the importance of science for innovation. Let's dive into how scientific methods were used to test the validity of rumors, myths, adages, and web footage such as videos and news stories. Can we still rely on truths, norms, rules, and traditions as the currency on which to base decisions for the future? How can science and innovation stay relevant in a post-fact society? Should anything change in the interaction between science and society? Will this new perspective be a tipping point towards 'trust in absolute truths' as a fundamental citizen right? What about the technological trend to turn many aspects of our lives into quantifiable data (datafication)?

About P-NUT

P-NUT passes the borders of faculties, departments and even universities by bringing PhDs and PDEngs with different backgrounds together to share their experiences and help each other to grow and become more efficient in their work. Our main objectives are to bring people who share similar interests together in both a professional and informal way, to inform them on the important aspects that might affect or benefit their careers, and share and defend the rights of the PhDs and PDEngs at the UT. These objectives define the three main goals of PNUT: connectinform and represent the PhD candidates of the University of Twente.

Interested in representing and supporting your fellow PhD and PDEng candidates? Join the P-NUT board! As part of the board you become the voice of a community but also find constant opportunities to develop personally and professionally. Simply write us an e-mail (p-nut@utwente.nl).