معرفی
Dr. Mirko Tobias Schaefer serves as Associate Professor at Utrecht University with dual appointments across the Faculty of Humanities (Department for Media and Culture Studies) and Faculty of Science. He co-founded and leads the Utrecht Data School as Faculty of Science Lead, while also serving on steering committees for the research areas 'Governing the Digital Society' and 'Applied Data Science.' Schaefer holds a visiting professorship at the Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences & Humanities (University of Helsinki) and advises the Dutch Ministry of Finance through the Advisory Committee Analytics.
Schaefer earned his MA in theater, film and media studies from the University of Vienna (2002) followed by a PhD from Utrecht University (2008). His academic trajectory includes research fellowships at Vienna's University of Applied Arts (2012-2013), Utrecht University's Centre for Humanities (2014), and Duisburg-Essen's NRW School of Governance as a Mercator Research Fellow (2016).
His research centers on the socio-political impact of media technologies, with particular focus on responsible AI implementation and data practices in public institutions. Schaefer investigates how datafication and algorithms transform public management, media ecosystems, and urban spaces through empirical studies conducted with government organizations. His work bridges digital humanities theory with practical governance frameworks, emphasizing public accountability in algorithmic decision-making.
Analysis of Schaefer's scholarly output reveals an evolution from early work on user participation and digital culture (notably his 2011 book 'Bastard Culture!') toward contemporary concerns about algorithmic governance and ethical data practices. His recent publications demonstrate increasing engagement with implementation challenges in public sector contexts, reflecting his 'entrepreneurial research' methodology that combines academic inquiry with real-world intervention.
As co-founder of the Utrecht Data School, Schaefer has established a distinctive research model where students collaborate directly with government agencies on data projects while developing critical perspectives on datafication. This approach exemplifies his commitment to research that actively shapes the phenomena it studies through practical engagement with public sector challenges.
