Call for Abstracts

For the second edition of the International Undergraduate Symposium, we focus on the
interrelationship between humanities and technology. Technology, in the form of gadgets,
devices, contraptions, appliances, and machines, has become a requisite of human life. It
encompasses not only the “high-tech” of today (spatial computing, artificial intelligence,
quantum technology, among others) but also the “low,” “simpler,” and “basic technologies”
(bicycles, traditional crafts, toys) of modern existence.

We could ask, how do human beings use and relate to technology? Or, more practically, when is
technology serviceable to us humans, and when is it not? We can think of technology not simply
as a set of objects but a techne, a making or doing, a practical knowledge. A techne not only has
economic, social, political, and cultural features, but also and, more importantly, ethical and
moral dimensions. For instance, when using a search engine, each search query instantiates a
moral order. What counts as relevant and whose voices are encoded? Therefore, the ethics live in
the tool itself.

We invite undergraduate students in the humanities, social sciences, communication, the arts, and
design, as well as the natural, agricultural, and medical sciences, to think through contemporary
issues bridging the human and technology, broadly. Students may propose topics based on how
they use technologies in their everyday lives, situated in particular places and times, with various
means and ends. Here are some suggested themes drawn from the types of questions that
students ask of technology today:

• Has artificial intelligence become acceptable and common, and for what goals?
• When do we not use certain technologies, and why?
• Where are certain technologies necessary, and where should they be prohibited? By and for
whom, and for what purposes?
• When are technologies human(e) and (in)human(e)?
• If human beings become integrated with technology, what is the role of undergraduate study?
• What techne exist across traditional university disciplines? Please submit the following

The symposium is organized as an in-person event. No remote presentation is available.

Information for your abstract submission
- Name(s) of student
- Institution/University/Department/Program
- Abstract/s (200-250 words)
- Keywords (3 – 5)
- Fields/Issues/(Inter)Disciplines
- Email contact
*No full papers are required.

Timeline
Friday 30th October – Deadline for abstract submission
Tuesday 1st December – Announcement of accepted abstracts
1st– 25th December – Registration
5th February 2027 – Deadline for presentation file submission
20th February 2027 – Symposium Day
21st February 2027 – Excursion (for those who registered)

Other details
• The conference is free of charge. However, participants must arrange their own
accommodation, travel, and logistics.
• An optional excursion will be offered for a fee, with details to be announced later.
• Presentation duration: Only 15 minutes (excluding Q&A)

Submission
• Submit abstract via this registration form: http://cmu.to/IHUS2027

Symposium venue
Faculty of Humanities, Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Contact details
Inquiry: humanitiescmusymposium@gmail.com