Robin Williams (academic)

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Robin Alun Williams
Born (1952-11-13) 13 November 1952 (age 71)
London, England
Alma mater Cambridge University
SpouseDr. Xiaobai Shen
ChildrenBen and Leon Williams
Scientific career
Institutions University of Edinburgh

Robin Williams (born 13 November 1952) is a British social scientist who is Professor of Social Research on Technology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and director of the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation. He is an interdisciplinary researcher in the field of Science and Technology Studies and contributed much to the social shaping of technology by studying the interplay between 'social' and 'technical' factors in the design and implementation of a range of technologies. [1]

Contents

Biography

After studying Natural Sciences and Social and Political Science at Clare College, Cambridge, [2] Robin Williams took an MSc and PhD at Aston University and worked as research fellow in the Technology Policy Unit until 1986. He then joined the Research Centre for Social Sciences (RCSS) at the University of Edinburgh and coordinated the Edinburgh PICT Centre, one of the six university research centres established under the ESRC Programme on Information and Communications Technologies (1986 - 1995). [3] During this time Robin Williams and other researchers in Edinburgh PICT Centre published on issues regarding social, economic and political aspects of the design and implementation of technology. [4] Concluding the findings of a decade's research Robin Williams and David Edge published a notable paper on the ‘broad church’ of social shaping of technology. [5] He became director of RCSS in 1997.

In 2000 Robin Williams established the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation (ISSTI) to bring together groups of academics and individual researchers across the University of Edinburgh who are involved in research, teaching and knowledge transfer on social and policy aspects of science, technology and innovation. [6] He was co-director of ESRC Innogen Centre from 2002-2012. [7] In 2008 he arranged the merger of RCSS and the Science Studies Unit to form the Science, Technology and Innovation Studies subject group in the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science. [8] Professor Williams established institutional links to and between research centres and institutions throughout the UK, Europe and Asia. His various involvements included co-chairing the UK Association for Studies in Innovation Science and Technology (AsSIST), [9] being representative of Britain on the COST A4 European Research Collaboration initiative on the Social Shaping of Technology and coordinator of the China-EU Information Technology Standards Research Project (2008-2010). [10]

Books

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Staff Profiles". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  2. 'Tripos results: Natural sciences, economics, classics', Times, 10 July 1973.
  3. Melody, William H (1987). "Innovative research in support of more informed decision making", ASLIB Proceedings, 39(6)
  4. PICT Report (1994). "Edinburgh PICT Centre 1987-1994 End of Award Report", University of Edinburgh
  5. Williams, Robin, and David Edge (1996). "The social shaping of technology", Research policy, 25(6)
  6. "ISSTI - About the Institute". University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  7. "Innogen". Genomicsnetwork. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  8. "Williams,Robin (2016). " Still growing strong: 50 years of Science, Technology and Innovation Studies at the University of Edinburgh", "EASST Review", 35(3)". 29 September 2016.
  9. "AsSIST Home Page". University of York. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  10. "China - European Union Standards". University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2012.