mobilization
Files
Description of campaign/project
Establishment of an internet-based network connecting scholars from different academic fields. Integration and communication between academia and wider society. Assistance with funding and promotion of academic research projects.
The topic of this project relates to the aspect of this year's festival in so far as it uses imaginative new way to create connections between people and to contribute to the betterment of the future society that will rely more on technological inventions, educational improvements and greater integration of science and arts into everyday life.
Communication via internet as the initial arena for establishing contacts, with the hope that collaborative projects will continue through closer personal communication between the parties and through other forms of social interaction.
Government funding will be more fairly distributed among worthy research projects, because of feedback provided by IAN. Many scholars who are looking for employment will find it through involvement in collaborative projects that have funding but which are lacking experts, especially in cases of interdisciplinary work. Scholars will be able to quickly and easily communicate and to establish connections to begin collaborative projects with colleagues from the same or different fields, within one country or internationally.
We have enjoyed thinking about and devising this project, especially since we have ample personal and indirect experience of the problems that this project sets out to solve. We believe that this kind of communication is essential at the moment and there are no similar networks that satisfy the needs of society and academia in the way that IAN intends to do. Hence, we would be thrilled to see the network evolve into a global forum and place of contact for researchers, as well as a useful tool of communication between frequently hermetic academic circles and the society at large, especially government institutions, private foundations and companies.
Curators comments More info on Curators & Editors ›
Other comments
John Calvelli
Entry details
Title
IAN - International Academic Network
Headline
IAN - International Academic Network
Concept author(s)
Jelena Trkulja
Concept author year(s) of birth
1974
Concept author(s) contribution
Jointly, with Danijela Fisic, conceived of the idea and developed it.
Country
United States of America
Copy author(s)
Danijela Fisic
Copy author(s) year(s) of birth
1973
Copy author(s) contribution
Jointly, with Jelena Trkulja, conceived of the idea and developed it.
Country
Serbia
Competition category
mobilization
Competition field
academic
Competition subfield
educator/researcher
Subfield description
Interdisciplinary Dept. of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ The School of Applied Arts, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia
“One of the most ignored fields, yet one that gives structure and framework for all other fields is academia. A genuinely non-profit sector whose employees labor for the sake of knowledge and professional betterment with very little actual monetary remuneration.” - from your description above.
How true and well said. I hope this also provides me cover for curating both academic proposals into the Beyond category. The International Academic Network is an interesting and worthy proposition, like so many of the entries. What is also characteristic is the sheer ambition and the desire to overcome monumental obstacles. Where would we be without this audacity?
So what is the big challenge here? First, acknowledging that academia “gives structure and framework for all other fields” points to a foundational problem: the structure and framework we want to change is one we, as academics, can’t wash our hands of. The difficulties of the chosen endeavor are already our difficulties. The segmentation of knowledge, the lack of relevance to the great issues of our time, the problem of integrating academic work within wider society – all these we have our hands dirty with. So be it.
Another big challenge: the Internet. The International Academic Network would presumably be found there (as I just did), and it would call to me as yet another academic opportunity to be involved in. Immediately, I want to squash it down, to give myself a little more room, and time, to quietly pursue my own little scholarly pursuits. But I’m not squashing it down, I’m choosing to "curate" it so it might get some attention and have a chance to succeed. Why?
I am in solidarity with your three goals. I believe that the problems your goals address lie at the heart of our society’s condition of unsustainability. We need to redesign our universities and colleges from ground up if we are to reconfigure the world to have a future. That also is a big challenge.
You’ve proposed something more discreet than my flagrant ambition, so hopefully it has more chance of success. How does it compare and contrast with other current initiatives of a similar kind? What will enable it to develop and grow? How does it become not only possible, but also compelling? I hope you are able to receive some valuable feedback from Memefest members that might give it a push in the right direction.
View other works commented by John Calvelli ››