Symposium on the data driven welfare state gathers Danish researchers and stakeholders
In medio November, the symposium “The Data Driven Welfare State? From Digitalization to Datafication” was hosted by DPU, Aarhus University. The ADD-project (Algorithms, Data and Democracy) and SHAPE – Shaping Digital Citizenship was the organizers of the day which aim was to gather researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to discuss perspectives of the data driven welfare state.
Research in technology and humans can help us ask questions of relevance to society
The Danish Government’s latest digtialization strategy relies on prior strategies, but one of the most important changes is the aim on using all the hitherto collected data as a resource. This also involve the Danish welfare state, which opens new questions about data ethic and trust, ‘the professional estimate’, the relation between the state and the citizenship etc.
Associate Professor, co-PI in the ADD-project, and initiator of the symposium, Helene Friis Ratner tells about the insights she hopes the participant’s take-off:
”We got some important experiences for the further development of data driven technologies: the importance of thinking small and local instead of complex and universal when we design new systems; the importance of designing technology for human – social workers and (many different) citizens – and not technology for the sake of (hyped) technology.”
The symposium gathered different participants who can ask central and abstract questions on designing and implementing technologies in the Danish welfare state which is something Helene hope the symposium will contribute to now and in the future. Accociate Professor, PI at SHAPE, and speaker at the symposium Peter Danholt agrees with her:
”To me, this symposium has great value, because it brings researchers together with companies, organizations and citizens for the purpose of exploring different issues. There are no clear answers or solution, when the day is over, but the issues have been said and discussed and hopefully that makes feel enriched which is essential for our ability to ‘provide’ the answers and solutions.”
Peter Danholt elaborates with the following:
”This day has given me many ideas for projects and seminars and I hope to cooperate with new partners in the future.”
About the symposium
The symposium was held at DPU, Aarhus University, Emdrup, 27 November 9.30-17:00.
Read more about the symposium and find the list of speakers here.
For mere information about our partners from the ADD-project.