I. Contexte
Technology is changing the world from artificial intelligence to big data to the ubiquity of smartphones, but changing the society requires to understand how to harness tech forces for good[1]. Social innovations are new social practices that aim to meet social needs in a better way than the existing solutions. Promising social media projects suggest that dramatic transformations are possible in health care, energy sustainability, environmental conservation, disaster response, and community safety[2].
However,
there are deep challenges in understanding the benefits of social media and
ameliorating their dangers. Computer, information, and social scientists,
network analysts, system developers, community managers, and many other
professionals will have important roles to play as they extend their
disciplines with innovative research and development agendas[3].
Realizing the full value of applications for social innovation requires
research agendas that include understanding the mechanisms for unleashing chain
reactions of human contributions and collaborations while preventing harmful
outcomes such as privacy violations or malicious attacks. Digital social
innovation lies at the intersection of three spheres[4]: innovation, social and
environmental problems, and digital technologies.
II. Objectives
The ISI programme focuses on the impact of Informatics on social innovation in the public sector, such as municipal administration, health care, public safety, traffic logistics, and others. It aims to generate experts who know how to deal with innovations, who can communicate the specialized knowledge of Computer Sciences to people from other disciplines, who can quickly familiarize themselves with non-technical domains, who have an understanding what it needs to introduce new digital technology and make the user accept and embrace it. This is combined with specialised knowledge, skills and competence in the classical domains of Informatics, such as implementing algorithms, designing and managing complex software packages, or managing large quantities of valuable domain data coming from various data sources.
The two year Programme (120 ECTS) provides students with a broad education, surpassing traditional Computer Sciences curricula by integrating key concepts from the Humanities, Social Sciences and Innovation Management. Critical thinking and research skills are emphasized while being contextualized by the demands of changing societies, which need to embrace and to master digital transformation. Thus, the goal of the programme is to deliver high-level, committed, interdisciplinarily trained personnel that can work with enhanced professionalism and quality of services in the broad field of applied Informatics and Computer Sciences for the benefit of social innovation. As a consequence, the graduates of the proposed programme will enjoy a very high employability in the fields of social and digital innovation and will be able to work as digital transformation experts / change managers.
[1] https://www.fastcompany.com/3043761/6-ways-technology-is-breaking-barriers-to-social-change
[2] Shirky, C. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age. Penguin Press, NY, 2010.
[3] https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2011/9/122795-realizing-the-value-of-social-media-requires-innovative-
computing-research/fulltext
[4] http://theconversation.com/what-are-digital-social-innovations-79066