The UNESCO Chair on Digital Humanism (2023–2027) aims to shape the development of digital technologies and policies toward human rights, democracy, participation, inclusion, and diversity.

Peter Knees and Julia Neidhardt are Chairholder and Co-Chairholder.

The chair was established in 2023 and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and establishes strong links with partner universities, especially in the global south, through research and education. Moreover, it aims to develop teaching curricula reflecting the topics of Digital Humanism; to include interdisciplinary methods into technical courses at TU Wien; to develop and adopt ethical research policies following UNESCO’s Recommendation on Ethics of Artificial Intelligence; and to organize recurring events to exchange and develop research agendas with related research initiatives.

The chair further acts as a networking hub, connecting partners and activities of the international DIGHUM initiative of TU Wien and the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML).

With the launch of the “Digital Humanism” doctoral program in the winter semester of 2024, Vienna is setting a bold standard for interdisciplinary research in digitalization and digital practices. This unique program, a collaboration between Stadt Wien and the Wiener Wissenschafts-, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds (WWTF), goes beyond traditional approaches, bringing together TU Wien, the University of Vienna, and WU Wien, with experts from nine different faculties and departments.

With a total of €3.2 million in funding - including €1.8 million from the City of Vienna and the WWTF - the initiative will support 10 doctoral students directly and several more through third-party funding over the next five years. The program provides a unique opportunity for young researchers to explore the critical intersection of technology and society, and to address pressing digital challenges from a holistic, human-centered perspective.

“Digital Humanism combines the efforts of disciplines that traditionally don’t work together,” says Peter Knees, professor at TU Wien Informatics, UNESCO Chairholder on Digital Humanism, and coordinator of the new doctoral program. This approach promotes a deeper, multifaceted understanding of technology’s role in our world, aiming to create a holistic view that includes ethics, societal impact, and innovation. With the involvement of Vienna’s leading universities, the program brings together a powerful range of perspectives united by a shared goal: to develop a future in which technology serves humanity responsibly and sustainably.

Integrating technological innovation with societal concerns is a core mission at TU Wien. “Long before the Vienna Manifesto for Digital Humanism, we have been dedicated to sensitizing computer science researchers to human-centered approaches in digital technology,” explains TU Wien Vice Rector Peter Ertl.

We foster a stream of Digital Humanism activities. Find our main players, cooperations and initiatives within and beyond TU Wien Informatics here.

• DIGHUM
  The Digital Humanism Initiative
• Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism
  Public Call to Deliberate and Act on Technological Development
• Lecture Series
  Ongoing Series of Online Events, Lectures, and Discussions
• Perspectives on Digital Humanism
  Open Access Book with Essays from Computer Science, Law and Humanities
• CAIML
  Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Digital Humanism Fellowship
  Cooperation with the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM)
• Vienna Gödel Lectures
  Public Lecture Series on How Technology Shapes the World We Live In
• CDL RecSys
  Christian Doppler Lab for Recommender Systems
• VU Digital Humanism
  Lecture and Exercise Course in Our Master Curricula

Our Partners. Alone we can do little – but together we can do much.

Our Supporters. Their commitment and support make our efforts possible.

Follow the links to individual initiatives and projects to learn more about our additional partners, cooperations, and sponsors.

Want to talk to real people about the challenges we face? Here are the leading experts and primary contacts for all our Digital Humanism initiatives.

Recent highlights, events, and news from all our Digital Humanism initiatives.
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