The “Security – technology – society” (STS) programme, directed by Ayse Ceyhan, is aimed at studying the relationship between the contemporary transformations of security and the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, including biometrics, integrated video surveillance systems or radio frequency identification (RFID) in the security field. It also proposes to examine the impact of adopting security technologies on society, the individual and living organisms.
This research programme is carried out by the Group for Study and Expertise in Security and Technologies (GEEST), which organised a colloquium in January 2008 on the theme “Biometrics: fields and challenges” that brought together academics, engineers, representatives of companies that manufacture security technologies, police officers, counter-terrorism specialists, and representatives of entities dedicated to information privacy and international organisations.
This research programme, which targets security technologies that must be analysed in a multidisciplinary approach, combines an ethical/normative angle and an empirical/practical one, and is aimed at generating synergies between human sciences and natural sciences, as well as between university research and corporate research and development (R&D).
Cutting-edge technologies studied as part of this programme
- Identification and authentication technologies: biometrics, DNA, smart chips
- Surveillance and tracing technologies: video surveillance, digital surveillance, geolocation, RFID, smart systems, sensors and probes
- Protection and filter technologies: motion and heat detectors, badges, smart filter portals, x-ray
- Defence technologies: satellites, drones, listening systems, system systems
- ICT: Internet, mobile telephony, communication networks, social networking sites, etc.
- Nanotechnologies
- Databases
With eight research focuses, the STS programme aims to study the production, use, efficiency and acceptability of these technologies in a contextual analysis, as well as examining their impact in socio-organisational, ethical, legal, symbolic and political terms.
A five-prong research programme
- Research and development (R&D)
- Studies and surveys
- Technology watch, prospective and market analysis
- Legal database
- Communicating and exploiting R&D results
