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VUNW: Introduction
VUNW-Start Page Results of Project Concepts and Topics search engine

Introduction

 

The project „Virtuality and new knowledge structures“ is an infrastructure project, which was financed within the confines of the Interreg programs of the EU (EFRE-funding) (1) The special feature of this project is, that it does indeed deal with raw materials, agriculture, buildings, roads, cars, airports, energy etc. but that the topic of the project is the new importance of virtuality and of knowledge.

Tradition

This method corresponds with the development to understand structure not only etymologically or in terms of language history – structure is here understood originally with building, architecture etc. In the way in which even today the importance of knowledge and expenditure for buildings (universities, museums etc.) seem to be connected directly with each other – but also to recognise that languages, sciences, ars, too, have structures and structure societies. (2)

EU-Rulings

This extension of the understanding of the concept of culture corresponds with the EU-Rulings about the Interreg programmes. From the 90s of the 20th century one can observe tendencies to take cognizance of the virtuality for the development of infrastructures. (3)

Virtuality

It is a fact that virtuality begins to play an ever increasing role in the reality of the 20th century and that it brings towards the end of the 20th century a new quality into the knowledge productions, the productions and the administration, and the interactions with nature in connection with the internet. (4)

Innovations

In the centre of this change are innovations of technology and the formation of concepts. These innovations are the motive force of social change. Examples are the art of the engineers (5), the revolution of the fridge (6) but also the globalisation of forms of communication. (7)

Reproductions

The quality of innovations is directly connected to the quality of reproductions. By means of sounds, images, signs, languages new forms of reproduction were created – and because oft hat new forms of identity formation by means of memory. These virtual reproductions are in the centre of the knowledge revolution of humanity. It is necessary to understand their structure, their possibilities, in order to make use of them for current developments and to make possible humane developments. (8)

Languages

Although languages and arts were always essential for knowledge revolutions, they have been marginalised entirely today. The disregard of their importance can be seen in the operating instructions as well as in the language reforms. The essential mistake is not only the ignorance about the importance of languages for technological applications (operating instructions, education reforms, slogans), but also in the disregard of social realities (rules against communication realities), (9)

Knowledge

The knowledge of humanity was never easily surveyed (splintering without communication) and today has become even less able to be surveyed – after a partial technical confluence (internet). This implies the necessity to see the extraction and application of knowledge as a social priority, which contains the essential component parts of plurality, public spheres, democracy and transparency. (10)

Centrope

The VUNW-Project in Centrope is the attempt to find such a new way. Centrope (11) itself is as a contractual construct part of the virtualisation of the world. The VUNW-Project showed in an exemplary way how one could gain trans-border results by means of of plurality, public spheres, and transparency. For the structure of the region this means a lasting option of structural change, in the frame of which agrarian, industrial, and knowledge production and services could change their structures in such a way that knowledge could play a new qualitative role and that a social communication about further developments could begin.

New Basic Structures

In the EU-Rulings culture is emphasized in the context of tourism and the creation of lasting work places. Beyond that we need a new understanding of culture not only for Centrope, but for Europe. In the context of urban developments one can observe new possibilities and chances. This new understanding in the form of applied knowledge would be the new basic structure for Centrope and Europe – with essential effects for productions, knowledge productions, administration. Such structures are proposed here. (12)

Notes

(1) The Interreg III A Program in the WWW: http://www.at-hu.net/

(3) Already in VO (EG) Nr. 1783/1999 one finds in Article 2 c) the formulation „development of the information society“. In VO (EG) Nr. 1260/1999 one finds under „reasons“ far reaching formulations: (6) Whereas cultural development, the quality of the natural and the man-made environment, the qualitative and cultural dimension of life and the development of tourism contribute to making regions economically and socially more attractive in so far as they encourage the creation of sustainable employment“. Ibid. under (7): „Whereas the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is the primary contributor to attaining the objective of promoting the development and structural adjustment of the regions whose development is lagging behind and economic and social conversion of areas facing structural difficulties”. The complete texts can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/

(4) The INST-Projects [http://www.inst.at/deutsch/projekte.htm] attempt since the middle of the 90s to outline the importance of culture and virtuality for today’s processes. This involves thematic, linguistic and methodological projects, which also served the development of science and research.

(5) L’art de l’ ingénieur. Direction: Antoine Picon. Éditions du Centre Pompidou: Paris 1997.

(6) Die Kühlschrankrevolution. Dokumentation der 3. Memminger Gespräche zu Kunst und Kultur. In: Jura Soyfer. Internationale Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaften, 12. Jg., Nr. 1/2003. Table of contents in WWW: http://www.soyfer.at/zs/03_1.htm

(7) See also the documentation of the project „The Unifying Aspects of Cultures“:http://www.inst.at/burei/CBand1_eng.htm

(8) The first beginnings were worked out in the EOLSS-Project for UNESCO: http://www.inst.at/kulturen/eolss.htm

(9) Umberto Eco has portrayed knowledge incarcerated in buildings in his work again and again (e.g. in the novel “The name of the rose”). A discussion of concepts of language can be found in: „Die Suche nach der vollkommenen Sprache“ (Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag: München 2002) and with the problems of the world of rules and systems in: „Kant und das Schnabeltier“ (Hanser: München, Wien 2000).

(10) Cf. The contributions of the general director of UNESCO, Matsuura (Wissensgesellschaft als Chance), the general secretary of the Council of Europe Davis (Notwendigkeit der Partizipationsmöglichkeit), EU-Kommissar Figel (Bedeutung der Vielsprachigkeit). In: VUNW. TRANS-Studien zur Veränderung der Welt. INST-Verlag: Wien 2006, Bd.6, S. 27ff.

(11) In WWW: http://centrope.com/centropestart

(12) See the VUNW-Project documentation: http://www.inst.at/burei/CBand6.htm