MSC researchers part of large EU project about arts and digital transformation.

Associate Professor Ana Alacovska and Post Doc Kirsti Reitan Andersen, both from MSC, are part of an international and cross-disciplinary consortium that in April 2020 received a large grant under the European Union program Horizon 2020 for the project Mobilising the Arts for an Inclusive Digital Transformation (Artsformation).

Thirty years ago, the internet, social media, and smartphones had not been invented. Yet a generation later, almost every facet of our individual, public, and online life are dominated by the digital transformation. However, the digital literacies and capabilities necessary for citizens to thrive in a digital society and act as responsible and effective participants, are unequally distributed across the European cultural, economic, and social strata, with the public sphere consequently rapidly dissolving.

Working with leading digital artists and tech theorists affiliated with Transmediale, Berlin, WAAG in Amsterdam, FACT in Liverpool as well as academic collaborators from Trinity Colleague Dublin and BI, Norwegian Business School, Alacovska and Andersen will explore the intersection between arts, society and technology. Drawing on arts-based methods, Artsformation investigates the potential of the arts to intervene in critical social, business and economic issues, with a view to addressing a range of abusive and exploitative aspects of digital technologies, such as labour politics, privacy, surveillance and digital literacy.

Amongst other activities, the consortium will conduct a series of qualitative interviews across Europe, run experimental workshops with key stakeholders and develop and host the ARTSFORMERS Arts Residency program including a number of exhibitions.

The Artsformation project is made possible by a 3 million euros grant awarded by the European Union under the auspices of the Horizon 2020 Program. The project, which is led by BI Norwegian Business School, runs for 3 years. The Artsformation website and SoMe launched on October 8th, 2020: https://artsformation.eu/

For further information, please contact Ana Alacovska, aa.msc@cbs.dk, or Kirsti Reitan Andersen, kra.msc@cbs.dk.

EGB and MSC faculty receive large Velux Foundation grant to study private-sector humanitarian initiatives

Associate Professor Jasper Hotho (EGB) and Assistant Professor Verena Girschik (MSC) have received a large grant under the Velux Foundation’s core-group programme to support their research on ‘Private-Sector Engagement in Humanitarian Action’ (HUMAC).

The grant allows them to build a new inter-departmental research group at CBS focused on how business-humanitarian collaboration can take place in an ethical, effective, and sustainable manner.

As the world grapples with growing humanitarian needs caused by COVID-19, natural disasters,and armed conflicts, there is a need for increased collaboration between private and humanitarian organizations. In response, Danish companies and international firms alike are experimenting with new ways to contribute to humanitarian assistance, including long-term collaborations and strategic partnerships.

With HUMAC, Jasper Hotho and Verena Girschik have been granted the opportunity to build a new research group at CBS on business and humanitarianism. The interdepartmental group will examine how humanitarian initiatives that involve private-sector firms can be organized in an ethical, effective, and sustainable manner.

The group will conduct in-depth process research on business-humanitarian collaboration in different crisis contexts. The aim is to analyze how partners organize their cooperation and how they handle the challenges they encounter along the way.  In doing so, HUMAC aims to generate urgently needed research-based knowledge and theoretical insights into the organizational dynamics, complications, and solutions of business-humanitarian collaboration — insights that can be used to enhance the delivery of aid and assistance to people in distress.

The HUMAC project is made possible by a grant from VELUX FOUNDATION’s core-group programme and co-financing from CBS, for a combined DKK 7.2 million. The VELUX FOUNDATION’s core-group programme seeks to support and promote excellent research in Denmark in the humanities and allied social sciences. The project will run for four years.

For further information, please contact Jasper Hotho, jh.egb@cbs.dk, or Verena Girshik, vg.msc@cbs.dk.

The Department of Management, Society and Communication

The department came into existence on 1 January 2017 as a result of the merger of the Department of Intercultural Communication and Management and the Department of International Business Communication. Read about MSC's research profile here.

MSC moved into its new premises in Dalgas Have in August 2017. As one of CBS' largest department, it occupies most of the second floor of the building.