UOC recruits 12 international researchers to study the social impact of technology

How does artificial intelligence influence access to political information? Can it help train future teachers or improve training for psychotherapists? What role do social media and AI play in the emotional experiences of young people with cancer?

These are some of the questions that the 12 predoctoral researchers who have recently joined the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) will address as part of IN2TIC (Interdisciplinary International Training on ICT for Developing Societal Impact), a European programme aimed at attracting international talent and driving research on the social impact of technology.

Hailing from 11 countries – Greece, Italy, Vietnam, Pakistan, United States, Iraq, Philippines, Colombia, Spain, Argentina and Russia – the new doctoral students will carry out research in fields such as education, health, communication, sustainability and social change.

From artificial intelligence to the climate emergency

The new research projects include a study by Nina Komadina (Italy), who will explore the impact of artificial intelligence on access to political information at the UOC-TRÀNSIC research centre, and one by Roi Christian James Avila (Philippines), who will examine the use of generative AI in the early-stage training of future primary and secondary school teachers at the UOC-FuturEd centre.

In the field of health, Alejandra Castañeda (Colombia) will investigate the role of social media and artificial intelligence in the emotional well-being of adolescents and young people with cancer at the UOC-TRÀNSIC centre, while Justin Kyle Bloomberg (United States) will explore how conversational AI can support skills development in psychotherapist training at the UOC-eHealth centre.

Other key areas include sustainability and global challenges. Abdul Rab Talpur (Pakistan) will focus on making cloud and edge computing more energy-efficient and sustainable at the UOC-TECH centre, while Al Rammahi Rammahi Zaman Adel (Iraq) will study the geoeconomic and geopolitical risks associated with climate change at the UOC-DIGIT centre.

These projects reflect the range of disciplines and perspectives through which the programme aims to help address today's social challenges.

A commitment to international research

IN2TIC has received €2.8 million in funding through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme, part of the European Union's Horizon Europe programme. Over the course of five years, the programme will recruit 24 international predoctoral researchers in two cohorts of 12.

The programme is supported by 11 academic and industry partners and aims to strengthen the UOC's international partnerships while providing the new researchers opportunities for training and professional development.

The arrival of this first cohort also marks another step forward in the UOC Doctoral School's commitment to academic excellence. "Now that we are firmly established, the Doctoral School has its sights set on excellence," explained Ferran Adelantado, director of the Doctoral School.

This initiative is aligned with the UOC's five research missions.

Transformative, impactful research

At the UOC, we see research as a strategic tool to advance towards a future society that is more critical, responsible and nonconformist. With this vision, we conduct applied research that's interdisciplinary and linked to the most important social, technological and educational challenges.

The UOC’s over 500 researchers and more than 50 research groups are working in five research units focusing on five missions: lifelong learning; ethical and human-centred technology; digital transition and sustainability; culture for a critical society, and digital health and planetary well-being.

The university's Hubbik platform fosters knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship in the UOC community.

More information: www.uoc.edu/en/research