It is now officially the first day of Summer, which means we are ready for an update from the center. In this June version of the newsletter, you can catch up on:
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• Short news from the Center for Digital Welfare
• New publications, press releases, past and upcoming events & activities
• DIGI-FRONT - a new research project at CDW

We suggest you fetch a coffee/tea, lean back and enjoy the read!
 
Sincerely,
Line & The Management Team

CDW is still in the process of adjusting and evaluating the new center structure to secure the best outcome and organization for our members and management team. If you, as a member, experience any concrete challenges or cases within digital welfare that you would like us to focus on, or have suggestions for upcoming activities, please reach out to us at cdw@itu.dk, so we can include these in the planning of the upcoming Fall activities and events.

The Spring semester in the Center for Digital Welfare is now completed and we are in the midst of planning the upcoming semester.

On April 26, CDW celebrated the publication of the book "Digitalization in Practice" and launch of the research project "DIGI-FRONT: Transnational Collaboration at the Digital Frontier" with introduction to the book by co-editor Jessamy Perriam, a panel discussion with the authors Michael Hockenhull, Brit Ross Winthereik, Baki Cakici, and Simy Kaur Gahoonia, project presentations from DIGI-FRONT work-packages and a reception. Read more about the activity here.

On May 29, CDW invited all members for a round-table discussion on Digital vs. People-first Perspectives as part of the CDW Theme #3: “Future Implications of Technological vs. Social rationality in organizational settings", led by Associate Professor at ITU and co-lead of CDW, Louise Harder Fischer. Researchers and practitioners alike, delved into the more philosophical assumptions behind concepts like Industry 5.0, human-centered design, and 'digital vs. human first' narratives. The discussion gave rise to questions about the interaction between man and machine, which is rapidly developing, and how this shapes and changes the workplace and the future of work. How might a people-first perspective in a digital-first reality play out? How does this affect our way of theorizing and practicing leadership? What responsibility does the entrance of AI into the workplace place on HR-managers, IT departments, unions, etc.? These were just some of the questions being raised. Read more about the event here.

It is sadly also time to say goodbye to Substitute Strategic Project Manager, Line Johansen, who has completed her 1-year position at the CDW as of May 31. Laura Junker-Jensen will take over from her in the Fall until Kitt's return. As always, you can adress any queries to cdw@itu.dk.  

"The Transnational Collaboration at the Digital Frontier" (in short: Digi Front) is a research project that starts from the premise that public sector digitalization is increasingly driven by transnational collaboration and asks how best practices of digital government travel across national contexts, and which kind of politically and culturally transformative effects this may have on national welfare states.

Funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, the project is led by Irina Papazu, co-head of CDW, and Jessamy Perriam, Associate Professor at ITU, along with Anders Kristian Munk, Professor, DTU Management, Alexei Tsinovoi, Assistant Professor, Aarhus University, Lasse Uhrskov Kristensen, PhD-student, and Tobias Pedersen, PhD-student. The project will look at how public digitization in Denmark is affected by ideas and technologies from other countries with which we do not necessarily share law or welfare values. What does it mean, for example, when we take over code from England for the development of Danish citizen service portals, or when we enter an IT policy collaboration with Israel?

An STS-informed study, the project theorises public digitalization as a transnational network of artefacts, expertise , and events and ethnographically follows three countries (Denmark, Israel, and the UK) deeply engaged in knowledge sharing. The project consists of four different work packages: artifacts, expertise, events and synthesis. 

Read more about the project and meet the team here

On June 14, 15:30-16:30 you can find CDW at Folkemødet 2024 where the center has organized a panel debate titled "Will technology be our saviour or our demise?" in collaboration with ITU Center for Climate IT and Politiken. Here the panelist will discuss dilemmas in building a future sustainable and caring society, and the role technology plays in it. Panelist are:

• Rune Baastrup, CEO, Democracy X
• Astrid Haug, CEO & Digital Advisor, Astrid Haug Bureau
• Bent Dalager, Partner and Head of Innovation & New Tech, KPMG/ATV
  
• Oliver Anton Lunow Nielsen, Policy & Partnerships, Thinktank Equalis
  
• Jonas Fritsch, Associate Professor, Digital Design, IT University of CPH
  
• Jonas Pröschold (moderator), journalist, Politiken
  

Read more about the event here

On August 20, 09:30-12:00 CDW is inviting all members for an expedition to KCX – an innovation and rehabilitation lab at Kommunikationscenteret in Ballerup. Here, participants will learn more about welfare and “smart home” technology, their applications, and discuss the social organization and (re-)structuring around these types of technologies. 

Otherwise, other events in the making are:
- A seminar on "Digitalizing Emergency Communication in the Nordic Countries"
- Workshop on sustainable AI
- A meeting on green procurement

Stay tuned for more as we approach the Fall semester!
 
If you are a member of the Center for Digital Welfare, you have already or will receive an invitation for these activities in your inbox in due time. If you would like to learn more about how to become a member, please find more information on our website or reach out to CDW at cdw@itu.dk. 

Article in Berlingske by Louise Harder Fischer, Associate Professor & co-lead of CDW.

Debate column in Altinget Digital by Irina Papazu & Cancan Wang, co-leads of CDW.

Article in Børsen with Louise Harder Fischer, Associate Professor & co-lead of CDW

Article in Børsen with Louise Harder Fischer, Associate Professor & co-lead of CDW.

Commentary in Altinget.dk by Adam Lebech og Michael Busk-Jepsen

Perriam, J. & Meldgaard Kjær, K. (ed.) (2024): Digitalization in Practice - Intersections, Implications and Interventions. De Gruyter Contemporary Social Sciences, vol. 14. Pre-order here

Gahoonia, S. K., & Gad, C. (2024): Prototypes all the way Down: Prototyping in the teaching and development of technology comprehension. STS Encounters, 16(1), Article 1. Read the article here

Papazu, I. Pors, A.S, Skaarup, S., Winthereik, B. R (2024): Digitalt hjælpearbejde – fordringer og udfordringer i borgernes adgang til velfærd. Essay. Magtudredningen 2.0. Århus Universitet. Read the essay here.

We are working on improving the accessibility of our newsletter. If you run into any issues while browsing the newsletter, or you have suggestions to make it more enjoyable, reach out to CDW at cdw@itu.dk.

Line Nykjær Johansen | Cancan Wang | Irina Papazu | Sisse Finken | Louise Harder Fischer

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Center for Digital Welfare
IT-Universitetet i København
Rued Langgaards Vej 7
2300 København S.

Contact
cdw@itu.dk

Website
https://cdw.itu.dk/