معرفی
Dirk Helbing is a Full Professor of Computational Social Science at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at ETH Zurich, with an affiliation at the Department of Computer Science. He is also a member of the External Faculty at the Complexity Science Hub Vienna. His research integrates computational modeling, data science, and social theory to study complex socio-technical systems, with a focus on digital societies, smart cities, and democratic innovation.
- ETH Zurich – Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences
- Affiliate, Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich
- External Faculty, Complexity Science Hub Vienna
- Former Affiliate Professor, TU Delft (Technology, Policy and Management)
Helbing’s research spans computational social science, complexity science, urban sustainability, and digital democracy. He pioneered work in pedestrian and traffic modeling and expanded into socio-economic systems, agent-based simulation, and systemic risk. His team investigates topics such as digital governance, participatory budgeting, resilience, and ethical smart city design. He emphasizes interdisciplinary integration and real-world policy impact.
The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward using AI, agent-based modeling, and data analytics to address urban challenges—particularly in traffic management, air quality monitoring, and participatory governance. His work increasingly focuses on ethical and democratic dimensions of technology, advocating for decentralized, inclusive, and resilient digital societies.
- Idee Suisse Award
- Honorary PhD, Delft University of Technology (2014)
Helbing has advised numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers and led major initiatives such as the FuturICT project and the doctoral program on Engineering Social Technologies at TU Delft. His research is supported by significant grants, including an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant. He has co-founded several interdisciplinary centers, including the Risk Center, the Decision Science Laboratory (DeSciL), and the Competence Center for Coping with Crises.
He leads the Computational Social Science (COSS) group at ETH Zurich, which combines fundamental research with applied policy innovation. The team uses evolutionary game theory, simulations, and experiments to study collective behavior, cooperation, and societal transformation.
