Drawing from our decade-long experience in socially engaged research at the Utrecht Data School, and other examples, this talk depicts practical examples for developing effective knowledge transfers between university and society. Current crises such as the pandemic, warfare, climate change, migration, and digitization require interdisciplinary efforts and collaborations with practitioners, policy makers, stakeholders and citizens; and this creates many opportunities for researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). Their expertise in cultural and social complexity, philosophy, politics, history, ethics and other areas are very much needed. With digital methods and data analysis, SSH disciplines can expand their toolbox and provide novel insight and also solutions to many challenges. We thus find ourselves in an unprecedented situation where we have the opportunity to not merely investigate society but actively participate in shaping it. With reference to the general call for more socially engaged research and for rethinking impact, this talk discusses some of the needed changes in universities for enabling public engagement and effective knowledge transfer.
When: Thursday, 20 October 2022, 14.30-16.00: Parallel Keynotes
Where: The keynote will take place in Aula – Campus North and streamed to Jeppe Vontilius Auditorium (Lake Auditoriums – Campus South).
Bio: Mirko Tobias Schäfer is Associate Professor at Utrecht University's research area Governing the Digital Society. He is co-founder and project leader of the Utrecht Data School. Mirko's research interest revolves around the socio-political impact of (media) technology. With the Utrecht Data School, he investigates how algorithmization and datafication affect citizenship and democracy. Working closely with extra-university partners from government organisations, media, NGO's and corporations, Utrecht Data School does not only investigate the datafied society but takes part in building it. Mirko is author of the book Bastard Culture! How User Participation Transforms Cultural Production (Amsterdam University Press 2011), and co-editor (together with Karin van Es) of the volume The Datafied Society. Studying Culture through Data (Amsterdam University Press 2017). Together with Tracey Lauriault he is editing the forthcoming volume Making a Difference. Novel Research Methods in the Datafied Society (Amsterdam University Press 2023).
