Can we imagine how Network Science may contribute to a better society, ten years from now? While we witness a growing abundance in social interaction data, the ongoing revolution in generative AI is already transforming the realm of possibilities in social science. How can and should network science for a better society look like in 2036? And what does this require from scholars, policymakers, and infrastructure?

During this session, PLANET-NL aims to take a step back and reflect on how doing network science, with a focus of social applications, has changed over the last decade and envision how it will change over the ten years ahead. The session begins with a keynote presentation who will give a bird's-eye view on the changes in the field of social network science. Two discussants will then provide reflections from complementary perspectives: one focusing on policy applications and the other on research infrastructure. In the
concluding part, all participants are invited to join a round-table discussion to respond to the challenges raised by the speakers or to bring their own puzzle to the table.

Speakers

TBD

About the organiser: PLANET-NL

Platform for Large-scale Analysis of Networks (PLANET-NL) is an academic research platform centered around infrastructure for the analysis of large-scale (social) networks. It brings together researchers, engineers and practitioners by providing software, expertise, tools, and opportunities for research and collaboration

Registration

Registration for this session will be available from February 1, 2026.