Research Center for science and technology and social of Northeastern university (2004) is founded on Institute of natural dialectics(1978) and institute of technology and society (1984), Prof.Chen Changshu and prof. Yuan Deyu are the founder of the 2 institutes. Research center is approved by the ministry of education for the Innovation Base of "science and technology and society (STS)" of philosophical and social sciences, professor Chen Fan is the chief director.
Northeastern university is the leader in research of "science and technology and society (STS)" among the institutes and higher schools in China. Combining with the engineering colleges and universities discipline characteristic at northeastern university in 1978, the research center took technology and society (TS) as the main research direction. The research center drew lessons from the Japanese techno-enabled research results, combined with China's reality through theoretical innovation, formed the characteristic theory of STS. In 1993, it set up the doctoral resarch direction of science and technology and society (STS) based on the doctoral programme of philosophy of science and technology, cultivated a group of senior talents who engaged in the STS theory research and management. In recent years, on the one hand, the research center pays attention to strengthen the STS theory and practical research, on the other hand, pays attention to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries. The research center for "science and technology and society (STS)" of northeastern university has higher domestic academic status.
Research center for science and technology and society (STS) of Northeastern university has the advantage that not only has a long history of research for culture and philosophy, but also has the advantage of study on technology and engineering. It also focus on studies of liberal arts and science. It combines with philosophy of science and technology, management of technology, and the relation between scientific culture and humanistic culture, forms a distinctive style complementary with distinguish discipline characteristics. Such a characteristic takes it easy to practice with science and technology and the revitalization of northeastern old industrial base in China. It plays an important role on promoting independent innovation ability and the founding of innoational-style country.
The center now has 32 teachers, including 10-12 professors, 10 associate professor and lecturer separately, the structure of the reaserch group is reasonable, the strength is strong, higher vocational personnel proportion is about 36%, the average age of the group is 45 years old, about 95% of the researchers have doctor or master's degree,about 90% of the researchers have doctor’s degree.
The research center’s major research directions include: (1) engineering, technology and society (STES) research: research and engineering philosophy of science and technology. including the basic theory of science and technology and society, technical invention and innovation, science, technology, engineering and ethics, and law of science and technology, and history of science and technology, science and technology and culture, etc.; (2) the public policy of science and technology (STPP) research. including research and management of science and technology, science and technology and policy, technology and talent development strategy and its assessment, etc; (3) economic and social research (ES) .including industrial economy and society, the regional economy and society, and the circular economy and ecological economy and society, etc.
The future guiding ideology and target of the Research center is: adhere to the philosophy of technology features, to keep the lead position in the national similar discipline; Strengthen basic theory research, and continue to improve the level of science and technology and society (STS) studies. To promote social application, promote our country's economic and social development of science and technology and the old industrial base transformation; Implements the opening to the outside world, strengthening academic exchanges and cooperation at home and abroad; Efforts to blaze new trails, advancing with The Times to develop new research directions. Research Center for science and technology and society (STS) of Northeastern university will become the first-class institues in China, and will have a great influence on the research of international science and technology and society (STS) .
