In her keynote “Digital Humanism in Action”, Katja Mayer frames Digital Humanism not as a fixed doctrine but as a situated, critical, and interdisciplinary practice. The Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism translates this perspective into concrete research through its PhD projects, which collectively demonstrate how digital humanism becomes real through design choices, research methods, and societal engagement.

“Taken together, the PhD projects of the Vienna Doctoral College demonstrate that Digital Humanism is not merely a normative label. It is a research practice that asks difficult questions about power, materiality, and responsibility; that values diversity as constitutive of knowledge; and that understands interdisciplinarity as a collaborative journey. In this sense, the doctoral college does not just teach Digital Humanism – it enacts it.”

Dr Katja Mayer, University of Vienna, Member of the DigHum College Advisory Board

A central argument of her keynote is that technology is “society made durable” (Bruno Latour) and that digital systems must be made knowable through unpacking, translation, and sharing. This is directly reflected in projects focusing on explainability, transparency, and trust. For example, research on explainable recommender systems and the visualization of argumentation networks seeks to open algorithmic black boxes, enabling users and stakeholders to understand, question, and contest automated decisions. These projects embody Digital Humanism’s commitment to epistemic accessibility and democratic accountability.

The theme of democracy, fairness, and the politics of design appears in projects on AI as a democratic actor, participatory budgeting, and norm-sensitive AI systems. These projects bridge political theory, legal reasoning, and computer science, operationalising democratic values into technical specifications and decision-making processes. In doing so, they move beyond ethics as an afterthought and treat it as an integral design principle.

Another key dimension is socio-materiality and planetary limits. This perspective is mirrored in projects addressing the environmental impacts of AI infrastructure and climate-adaptive digital systems. Research on the materiality of AI data centres foregrounds energy, water use, and ecological trade-offs, while sensor-based wayfinding under extreme heat conditions connects digital systems to embodied human experience and climate resilience. These projects reflect a Digital Humanism that acknowledges the physical, environmental, and infrastructural conditions underlying digital technologies.

Mayer’s emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and situated knowledge is echoed in projects on linguistic diversity, trust in generative AI, and open science infrastructures. Investigations into how digitization affects endangered languages challenge assumptions of technological neutrality and highlight uneven cultural impacts. Similarly, work on open science infrastructures examines whose knowledge is documented, shared, and reused, and under what conditions—aligning closely with feminist epistemology and STS traditions discussed in the keynote.

Finally, the Vienna Doctoral College exemplifies inter-, pluri-, and transdisciplinarity beyond rhetoric. Every PhD project is co-supervised across institutions and disciplines, combining methods from computer science, social sciences, humanities, law, and design. Persistent frictions—between quantitative and qualitative methods, formal models and lived experience—are treated not as obstacles but as productive spaces for knowledge generation, precisely as envisioned in Mayer’s account of Digital Humanism in action.

The conclusion of the inspiring kick-off showed a Digital Humanism in practice that:

values diversity not as decoration but as constitutive of democratic life and scientific knowledge production.

treats interdisciplinarity as a collaborative journey rather than a checkbox.

asks difficult questions about norms, fairness, participation, and power

recognizes the materiality and ecological footprint of digital systems

About Dr Katja Mayer

Dr Katja Mayer is member of the advisory board of the Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism and Senior Scientist at the Centre for Social Innovation ZSI and a sociologist at the STS department of the University of Vienna. She works at the intersection of science, technology, and society. Since 2019, she has focused on the politics of open science and open data in the context of computational social sciences and AI. Dr Mayer has served as the PI for international research projects and as a rapporteur for the European Commission’s Open Science MLE in 2018. She has contributed extensively to policy advice and promoting open science, citizen science, and open digital research infrastructures. Her practical experience from prior work in the IT industry and her former role as a research advisor to the President of the European Research Council ERC have enriched her transdisciplinary approach. Additionally, she has mentored and trained individuals in open research practices and has taught STS, citizen science and critical data studies at TU Munich and the University of Lucerne, among others.

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Colourful kick-off event at the Vienna Urania: about the complex interplay between technology and society

The kick-off event offered exciting insights into the strategy and implementation of digital humanism in the City of Vienna. In her welcoming address, Veronica Kaup-Hasler, City Councillor for Culture and Science, emphasised the importance of combining theory and practice in a way that puts people at the centre. Michael Strassnig, Deputy Managing Director WWTF, gave an overview of the various activities of the City of Vienna in the field of digital humanism.

The three vice-rectors of the participating universities – Peter Ertl (TU Wien), Manuela Baccarini (University of Vienna/Uni Wien) and Bernadette Kamleitner (Vienna University of Economics and Business/WU Wien) – underlined the importance of a joint, interdisciplinary approach. Technology and its development are never neutral, but also influenced by social and economic perspectives.

Interdisciplinary research in practice: Will technology serve humanity – or will humanity adapt to serve technology? A central focus of the doctoral programme is the introduction to interdisciplinary methodology. The three scientific programme coordinators Peter Knees (TU Wien, UNESCO Chair on Digital Humanism), Sophie Lecheler (Uni Wien) Marta Sabou and Jan Maly (WU Wien) explained how different scientific perspectives and methods are combined in the doctoral programme.

The PhD projects were presented in peer-to-peer interviews with questions around methods, frameworks and potential impact on a societal, technological and economical level.

The project posters facilitate discussions and explain questions:

Critical and creative minds to lead the conversation: the concluding keynote by Katja Mayer

The keynote speech by Katja Mayer (University of Vienna) directly reflected on the students’ projects. It concluded this inspiring day and show a Digital Humanism in practice that:

treats interdisciplinarity as a collaborative journey rather than a checkbox.

asks difficult questions about norms, fairness, participation, and power

recognizes the materiality and ecological footprint of digital systems

values diversity not as decoration but as constitutive of democratic life and scientific knowledge production.

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View from the Dachsaal of Urania Sternwarte, Pic Courtesy Petra Steinkogler

The post Review of a colourful Kick-off: Seeding a Responsible Digital Future appeared first on dighumcollege Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism.

Registration for this event is now closed.

You are kindly invited to join the official Kick-off of the 

Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism.

We look forward to sharing with you the development of our college with its interdisciplinary research focus. The event is open to all with an interest in Digital Humanism, including researchers, students, policy-makers, and members of the public. Special guests will include representatives from the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF), the City of Vienna, and leadership from TU Wien, University of Vienna, and WU Vienna.

‘The “Digital Humanism” doctoral programme is more than just a research programme – it is an investment in the future of our society.’ *
Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Executive City Councillor Cultural Affairs and Science, City of Vienna

Wednesday, 19^th of November 2025

09:30h – 16:00h

Urania Sternwarte / Dachgeschoss, Uraniastraße 1, 1010 Vienna

Agenda

9:30 – 10:00      Arrival & Welcome Coffee        

10:00 – 10:50    Welcome & Opening Remarks            

• Veronica Kaup-Hasler, City of Vienna (Stadt Wien) to be confirmed
• Michael Strassnig (Deputy Managing Director WWTF)
• Peter Ertl (Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and International Affairs, TU Wien)
• Manuela Baccarini (Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs, University of Vienna)
• Bernadette Kamleitner (Vice Rector for Research and Third Mission, WU Vienna)

10:50 – 11:15    Introduction to the Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism

Interdisciplinarity and transfer of methods: How we are shaping a responsible, digital future  

• Peter Knees (TU Wien) 
• Sophie Lecheler (University of Vienna)
• Marta Sabou (WU Vienna) 
• Jan Maly (WU Vienna)

11:15 – 11:30 Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30    Interview-Spotlight on PhD Projects: What, why, how. 

Interdisciplinarity in research practice 

• PhD Students presenting their projects

12:30 – 14:00    Lunch & Networking

14:00 – 15:00    Keynote + Discussion: Digital Humanism in Action** 

Digital Humanism calls for a rethinking of our relationship with technology, knowledge, and society. But what does this mean in concrete research practice: in the everyday work of a new generation of scholars?

• Katja Mayer (University of Vienna)

15:00 – 16:00h               Closing Remarks, Networking, Coffee + Gugelhupf

** Key Note Digital Humanism in Action
Digital Humanism calls for a rethinking of our relationship with technology, knowledge, and society. But what does this mean in concrete research practice: in the everyday work of a new generation of scholars?

This keynote will respond to the themes and questions emerging from the morning session, exploring where we currently see the most promising opportunities, exemplary initiatives, and open spaces for action within Digital Humanism. It will also reflect on the critical challenges we face: how to sustain interdisciplinarity beyond rhetoric, how to balance openness with responsibility, and how to translate values such as democracy, justice, and participation into the design and governance of digital systems especially in times of extreme politics, polarization, and the pervasive experiences of doom and gloom that shape our collective imagination.

Rather than offering fixed answers, this talk aims to invite collective reflection on how Digital Humanism can evolve as a living practice; one that not only studies but also shapes the conditions for a responsible digital future.

Dr Katja Mayer is Senior Scientist at the Centre for Social Innovation ZSI and a sociologist at the STS department of the University of Vienna. She works at the intersection of science, technology, and society. Since 2019, she has focused on the politics of open science and open data in the context of computational social sciences and AI.

*Verbatim: Media Release published by the City of Vienna and WWTF on October, 28th, 2024: „Digitaler Humanismus: Neues Doktoratskolleg an drei Wiener Unis startet“

Registration is now closed.
We look forward to officially kicking off the DigHum Doctoral College with you!

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