Centre for Applied Research of the Faculty on Digital Media & Creative Industries

Digitization has an impact on society and our planet

Digitization is increasingly penetrating all layers of our society. This creates opportunities for companies, governments and citizens, but despite the connecting factor, digitization has also led to new forms of inequality, reinforced monopolies and depletion of natural resources and sometimes violation of our privacy.

The digital transition is not necessarily easier to tackle social challenges. This requires a holistic and critical attitude in the design, development, research and application of digital technologies and media. As researchers from the knowledge center of the Faculty of Digital Media and Creative Industry (FDMCI) at the AUAS, we take our responsibility seriously. We develop research and education with a positive impact on society and our planet. This ambition fits in well with the programs and the various fields of the faculty.

Interdisciplinary network

The Centre for Applied Research is an interdisciplinary network organisation, which has concentrated its research in eight professorships: Crossmedia, Digital Life Centre, Fashion Research & Technology, Network Cultures, Play and Civic Media, Responsible IT, Urban Analytics and Visual Methodologies. Each professorship focuses either on a specific impact area, such as fashion or digital life, or otherwise on methods and technological developments. Professorships play an important role as nationally and internationally appreciated authorities that are strongly rooted in relevant networks. By developing minors, Master's degree programmes and graduation phases, professorships make an important contribution to training the professionals of the future.

Future professionals

The faculty trains critical and creative professionals who in future will work in the creative industry and play a role in various transition processes. To this end, students are increasingly being involved in research processes and are learning how to apply solution-focused and applied research methods from the creative industry. In this way, we are constantly strengthening the connection between teaching and research. Creating active communities of researchers and lecturers around specific fields of expertise, such as blockchain and VR, also contributes to this. In addition, together with partners from the business world and society – including care institutions, publishing companies, the City of Amsterdam and creative industry agencies – we are working on innovating professional practice.

Impact Networks

To create a strong bond between research and the Amsterdam region, the research center is the secretary of the Centre of Expertise for Creative Innovation (CoECI). CoECI initiates innovative collaborations between education, business and society. Such as Campus Amsterdam, which brings together campuses, living labs and innovation districts in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. With this initiative, CoECI ensures a strong international profile of the region as the campus of the world, crossovers between the parties, and the possibility of joint acquisition. With the Knowledge Mile, the Centre for Applied Research FDMCI connects research with the HvA's immediate environment.

17 December 2020