CSS - Center for Science and Society

The Center for Science and Society grows out of the conviction that the questions that will determine the future survival of humanity are of a new kind that cannot be answered by the method of the natural sciences or the humanities in isolation from each other. The Center thus aims to create a new paradigm of collaborative inquiry between the natural and social sciences and the humanities. Natural scientists and scholars informed by the perspectives and methods of the humanities, brought together under the umbrella of the Center, carry out collectively conceived research, teaching, and public programming to formulate new perspectives and innovative scholarship, and further public understanding about the role of science in society.

The heart of the Center is formed by six inaugural Research Clusters led by Columbia and Barnard faculty currently engaged in the study of science and society. These projects are designed to maximize collaborative research among a variety of disciplines, and to lay the foundation for joint teaching and curriculum development.