About S3F

What is S3F?

An opportunity for scientific dissemination and intellectual debate. A meeting point between researchers, teachers, students and society. A forum for open discussion across all fields of the social sciences, from sociology to economics, to history.

Main Objective

The main goal of SF3 is to have some of the most brilliant minds in the social sciences make their research available to non-specialists, to explain how they interpret and understand (or not fully understand) social phenomena that worry us all, from unemployment to how democracies evolve, from sexual relations to how banks operate, to international trade. This initiative intends to promote critical thinking among young people in Spain, Europe, and beyond, by encouraging a rational approach in addressing social problems, rather than one dominated by ideology and politics. SF3 pretends to reach thousands of people and to teach them how to think carefully by confronting them with frontier research in social sciences.

Additional Objectives

SF3 also aims at enhancing our basic understanding of the working of the global economy and of its framework, the socio-political systems. In addition we want to free accumulated scientific knowledge from the narrow corridors and offices of university’s buildings to spread it out to everyone who is willing to listen. Sf3 will turn the city of Salamanca into a first-class attraction for the world’s brightest minds.

2011 Theme

“Are the Social Sciences Good for Something? The Little we Know and the Lot we do not”. With the knowledge and experience of some of the world best experts, including Nobel Laureates, we intent to find out how the social sciences can help us to better understand the historical moment we are living in Spain, Europe and the world. A difficult moment, in which we appear to lack answers to the many questions the future poses and where uncertainty seems to be blurring our vision into the future.

Plans for 2011

To turn Salamanca into a reference point where social scientists, artists, writers, journalists and other media professionals, students, and visitors get together, turning the city into an extraordinary platform for transmitting and promoting scientific and cultural knowledge. Conferences, talks, debates, films, music, expositions…

Activities

There will be both indoor and outdoor activities. Among the indoor events, there will be three Lectio Magistralis, one each day, given by three different Nobel Prize Laureates in Economics and the Social Sciences, conferences held by well reputed researchers, interdisciplinary round tables, one on one debates on controversial topics, book presentations and night gatherings with an intellectual flavor. Within the context of the outdoor festival there will be expositions, a book fair focusing on the social sciences, music concerts, theatre plays, movies, workshops, urban hiking tours to know Salamanca, and other cultural activities.

What is the Role of the City?

Salamanca is central to the entire event. Its squares and streets accommodate many events and connect those that take place inside its buildings and structures, assigning the city a crucial role in the festival.

What is the Role of Institutions?

An initiative of this kind calls for shared responsibilities among various administrations concerned with the spreading of scientific knowledge: the government of the region of Castilla y León, the city of Salamanca, the University of Salamanca and the Pontifical University of Salamanca.

Fedea promotes this initiative as part of its mandate, which involves spreading the results of applied economic analysis to the general public. Fedea is responsible for the design of the festival, for insuring the scientific standing of all participants and for the academic content of the various events.

Will the Festival Take Place Again in Future Years?

Yes: an initiative of this kind only makes sense if it is continued and allowed to evolve over time. Matter of fact, this year is something like an experiment that, if it works, will be improved upon in the years to come.

Date of the Event

6 to 9 October 2011, Salamanca.