[Air-L] #NTF22 - Call for Papers - MTV 2.0: Modularity, Transdisciplinarity, Vexation

[Prof. Dr. Stephan G. Humer]

Two-day workshop as part of the MOTRA-K Research Cluster of Excellence 
Conference, September 1 and 2, 2022, Fresenius University of Applied 
Sciences Wiesbaden (on-site and via Zoom)

Academia, also - or especially? - security research, consists of 
numerous routines, the striving for stability, precisely: security. In 
addition, there are business and organizational necessities to "increase 
efficiency." At best, science is still free within narrow 
content-related limits. Third-party funding, conference events, paper 
dissemination - the requirements are substantial, but so is the need; 
see not only #IchBinHanna.

But where should all the creativity, innovation, and invention come from 
if the same habitat is walled off, reduced, and precarized more than 
ever? Desired freedom of research and actual development and rigidity of 
"flexible" systems contradict each other. The smoother, cleaner, and 
more efficient, the less creative, is the diagnosis. After all, the 
scientific enterprise also follows the innovation paradox.

Yet radicalism is not evil per se and thus worth fighting. Crossing 
boundaries is not only helpful and good in youth; the advantages of 
breaking taboos, of meandering on the interface between genius and 
madness, also become very clear later on. Even if the well-structured 
but sometimes somewhat bloodless and thick-skinned scientific community 
often doesn't like to admit it: it needs disrespect, impropriety, and 
disturbance. Shaking things up is impossible without touching; change 
only works with a change of direction, and questioning oneself is only 
possible without limiting oneself and others.

Therefore we dedicate workshop #NTF22 to the three topoi modularity, 
transdisciplinarity, and vexation. We want a workshop that brings 
together units of meaning (M) and strives for transcending disciplines 
and problem-solving (T) while using the element of vexation creatively, 
innovatively, and radically (V). The MTV Idents serve as a model, among 
others, as "gap fillers" between the television program parts, making 
the MTV brand known in a visually radical way, at the same time 
promoting non-conformist art and providing space for new visual 
experiences and worlds of thought, despite their integration into a 
thoroughly profit-oriented company.

However, this Call for Papers is not only addressed to researchers 
active in the arts and sciences but explicitly to all people in Academia 
who find the element of disruption meaningful and who find themselves 
and their work in one or more of the topoi mentioned above. Our workshop 
is thus intended to go a step further than last year's workshop, which 
was themed "Revolution, Innovation, Provocation." This time, we want it 
to be more radical, vexing, awakening, and, therefore, more intensive 
than last year's workshop in terms of content and structure. However, 
this is not meant to devalue the previous workshop, but - quite the 
opposite! - to tie in with it. Because without this preliminary work of 
the presenters at that time, this year's setting would not be possible - 
they have opened the eyes of many responsible persons to the necessity 
of provocative contributions. We want to build on this and therefore 
invite you: Become scientifically creative by disturbing!

In particular, we would like to strongly encourage young scientists, 
especially from the ranks of the NTF, to submit proposals. Presentations 
should be approximately 20 to 30 minutes in length and should be 
followed by an opportunity for discussion. We welcome contributions from 
the following security research areas (although other proposals not 
mentioned here may, of course, be submitted):

- Terrorism research from marginalized perspectives
- Extremism research in structurally underexposed areas
- Methodological criticism
- Artistic-scientific work in and from the field of security research
- New theoretical approaches to terrorism research
- Transdisciplinary innovations from research, development, and teaching
- Digital art that disturbs, irritates, and provokes
- New forms of international (digital) security collaboration
- Developments in problem-solving skills
- Creative methods for authorities, NGOs, associations, etc.
- Predictive policing
- Experimental forms of artificial intelligence in security research
- Trends in Machine Learning

If you would like to present your idea at our workshop, please send us 
an abstract of no more than 1000 characters and a short biography by 
June 30, 2022, to: NTF22 at ntfev.org. You will receive feedback by July 
15, 2022. We may cover travel and lodging expenses for up to ten 
presenters. Two outstanding papers, selected by the Board of Directors, 
will be presented directly at the MOTRA conference in the "grand setting."

MOTRA and the Terrorism Research Network (Netzwerk Terrorismusforschung/NTF)

The collaborative project "Monitoring System and Transfer Platform 
Radicalization" (MOTRA) (https://www.motra.info) is a research network 
in the context of civil security research funded through the German 
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Federal 
Ministry of the Interior (BMI). The project arose within the framework 
of establishing a Research Cluster of Excellence on the early detection, 
prevention and countering of Islamist Extremism and Terrorism. MOTRA 
aims to systematically monitor radicalization in Germany, focusing on 
the development of Islamist extremism and terrorist acts, using 
multimethod, longitudinal phenomenon/trend analyses, and in-depth case 
analyses.

The Terrorism Research Network (NTF) has been an associated/transfer 
partner of the MOTRA network since 2019. This role is responsible for 
promoting young researchers in the subject areas of terrorism/extremism 
research. We are pleased to be the first security research network for 
young researchers in the context of a Research Cluster of Excellence and 
cordially invite you, as young researchers, in particular, to present 
and discuss your research ideas, projects, theses, or doctoral and 
post-doctoral projects at this year's NTF workshop in the context of the 
MOTRA annual conference in Wiesbaden!

The small stage of the NTF workshop, close to the large MOTRA stage, 
offers you the opportunity to come into contact and exchange with 
scientists from the field of security research as well as 
(de)radicalization work, terrorism and extremism research, to deepen 
specific topics in person or digitally via provided break-out rooms, to 
expand your network as well as to approach potential supervisors for 
research papers. As the pandemic allows, social gatherings are also 
possible as part of the workshop. Of course, we must always observe the 
legal regulations at the conference/workshop!

Notes on event format due to the corona pandemic

Due to the dynamic pandemic situation, the final format of the event is 
currently not irrevocably fixed. If necessary, the workshop will be held 
as a hybrid event. Online participation is possible without 
restrictions. If you are interested in participating without a 
presentation, we request registration (NTF members as well as external 
guests) by August 15, 2022. Spontaneous or anonymous participation is 
not possible either on-site or online! We will inform you about the 
exact format, conditions of participation, and program in due time. Your 
contact persons:

Stephan Humer: stephan.humer at ntfev.org
Isabelle Holz: isabelle.holz at hs-fresenius.de

Literature: Husbands, L.: The ‘Quasi-Artistic Venture’: MTV Idents and 
Alternative Animation Culture. In: Cook, M., Thompson, K.M.: Animation 
and Advertising. pp. 229-246. Palgrave Animation, 2019.

-- 
Prof. Dr. Stephan G. Humer
Internet Sociologist

Director, Internet Sociology Department, Hochschule Fresenius Berlin
Chief Research Officer, Hochschule Fresenius Berlin
Founding Chairman (2013-2021), Coordinator Advanced Research, NTF e.V.
Member, Research Cluster of Excellence on Terrorism/Extremism (MOTRA)

Tel. (DE/EU): +49 (0)157/58064165
Phone (US): (213) 267-0214
Website: www.humer.de
Twitter: @netsociology