Ina Dietzsch

Ina Dietzsch is a full professor and executive director at the Institute for European Ethnology/Cultural Anthropology at Philipps University of Marburg, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy. She leads the Institute for Empirical Cultural Studies and is deeply engaged in interdisciplinary research on digital culture, water, and technology. She also holds a scientific project management role at the University of Basel and FHNW in Switzerland.

• PhD, Humboldt University of Berlin (2000)
• Habilitation, University of Basel (2015)
• W3 Professor, Philipps University of Marburg (2020–present)

Her research centers on the digitization and mathematization of nature, with a focus on water practices, ontologies, and narratives. She explores how digital technologies reconfigure human, animal, plant, and technical relations, particularly in agriculture and urban development. Drawing on feminist theorists like Donna Haraway, she critically examines posthuman and cyborg identities, participatory design, and visual communication.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend in digital cultural techniques, especially in water and agriculture. Themes include smart water systems in South Africa, posthuman readings of urban water, digital farming methodologies, and the role of visual participation in urban planning. The works combine ethnographic, theoretical, and design-anthropological approaches.

Ina Dietzsch is actively involved in academic leadership and collaboration. She is a board member of the Marburg Center for Digital Culture and Infrastructure and the DGEKW Commission on Digitalization in Everyday Life. She co-leads the Critical Icono-Ethnography Lab (CIELab) and the Marburg Water Lab, fostering interdisciplinary and participatory research.

She has supervised various research projects funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Her work bridges cultural anthropology, science and technology studies, and design, with a strong emphasis on public engagement and collaborative knowledge production.