Prof. dr. Gert Goeminne
As human beings, we are bound to language. It enables us to become human, at the same time it alienates us from ourselves. Words give us a grip on the world, but they never fully capture it. Something always escapes. Nowhere is this paradox more pronounced than in science and innovation: practices that are eminently human. It is in the metaphors, stories, concepts, visions, and imaginaries with which scientists and engineers confront the unknown that the ethical dimension of their work resides. My aim is to make language, narrative and imagination central to the study of science and innovation, so we can better engage with their subjective dimensions. By paying attention to what falls between the words, I am convinced we can ‘take more into account’ and act more responsibly in science and innovation.
I put this into practice through collaborations with engineers in fields such as chemistry, software development and biomarkers, where we engage in dialogue to uncover the ethics of invention. I also supervise PhD research on how museums shape the collective memory of colonial history, exploring how institutions give form to the narrative infrastructures through which societies relate to the past.
Originally trained as a nuclear physicist (PhD, 2001), I quickly felt the need to question the subjective dimensions of the scientific mindset and the complex relationship between science, technology, and society. This eventually led me to become the interdisciplinary science and technology studies (STS) researcher I am today.
Mail: gert.goeminne@ugent.be
Research Explorer: https://research.ugent.be/web/person/gert-goeminne-0/en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gert-goeminne-271213313