Digital Humanism poses the critical question of how technological developments can be shaped responsibly and brought into harmony with human values. The increasing importance of topics such as artificial intelligence, rights and the rule of law in the digital age, ethics-based algorithms, economic monopolies, and social justice make it necessary to look at technological innovations from different perspectives and take a stand against technological determinism. The doctoral program aims to enable young scientists to work on these challenges from different scientific perspectives and thus contribute to shaping a responsible digital future.

Interdisciplinary training of doctoral students for a better digital future

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.

“With the new doctoral program, we are making a targeted investment in the future of research and in the training of scientists who critically question the social implications of digitalization and make constructive proposals for the future design of digital technologies,” explains Vienna’s City Councillor for Science Veronica Kaup-Hasler. “In cooperation with the WWTF, we are creating a platform that will further establish Vienna as a leading research location for digital humanism. Our goal is to advance technological developments in the service of society.”

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

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. The new doctoral program extends this commitment, offering a lasting and sustainable platform to deepen cooperation with the University of Vienna and the WU Wien. Through these interdisciplinary partnerships, computer scientists engage closely with experts in the humanities and social sciences, truly embodying TU Wien’s motto: Technology for People.

Bridging Disciplines for a Responsible Digital Future

“Digital Humanism combines the efforts of disciplines that traditionally don’t work together,” says Peter Knees, professor at TU Wien, 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.

Pioneering research for society

The new doctoral program will make a decisive contribution to training a generation of researchers who are able to grasp the challenges of digitalization in all their complexity and propose solutions to the associated challenges.

“As a funding organization, it is not only important to us to strengthen research at the location, but also to invest in the training of young scientists. The doctoral program does this in an innovative way by bringing together the wide-ranging social sciences and humanities with the computer sciences at the location, thus creating unique research opportunities for young academics on the topic of digitalization,” says WWTF Managing Director Michael Stampfer.

“The Doctoral College ‘Digital Humanism’ is more than just a research program - it is an investment in the future of our society,” summarizes Veronica Kaup-Hasler. “Vienna is showing that science and society must go hand in hand in order to make the best possible use of the opportunities offered by digitalization.”

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