معرفی
Christoph Becker is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Information and the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto. He leads the Just Sustainability Design Lab, focusing on transdisciplinary research that integrates sustainability and social justice into computing and technology design. His work addresses the urgent ecological and societal crises through critical examination of technological values and development of methods for equitable systems.
- Current affiliations: Faculty of Information, School of the Environment (University of Toronto)
- Research focus: Just Sustainability Design, Critical Systems Thinking, Feminist STS
Becker’s research explores how computing’s entrenched myths about problem-solving and neutrality hinder sustainability and justice. He advocates for collaboration with critical disciplines to reorient technology toward ecological responsibility. His monograph Insolvent: How to Reorient Computing for Just Sustainability (MIT Press, 2023) was a finalist in the AAP PROSE Awards 2024 for Engineering and Technology. The work has been endorsed by leading scholars as essential reading for technologists and designers.
His research is funded by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Ontario Research Fund, and the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. Previously, he held roles directing the Digital Curation Institute at UofT (2014–2024) and developing international consortia for digital heritage projects in Europe.
- Grants: NSERC, CFI, Ontario Research Fund, School of Cities
- Former roles: Director, Digital Curation Institute (UofT)
Becker’s lab creates design tools for urban computing projects, emphasizing collective action and equity. He critiques large language models and AI as unsustainable, advocating for low-tech solutions like bicycles or heat pumps. His social media presence highlights #TechOtherwise, #Degrowth, and #DisabilityJustice perspectives.
