From AI insect farming to censorship and disinformation by authoritarian states, to positive psychology for a fossil-free future: the diverse pitches at the UM Dinner 2024 were once again a great success. Mariëlle Wijermars, Nicole Geschwind & Marjolein Hanssen and Kamil Bujnarowksi presented their inspiring projects to an audience of over 190 renowned guests from the region.
What are the stories behind these researchers, their recent achievements and exciting projects? We spoke to the four young, talented academics about their experiences at the UM Dinner 2024, the importance of their research and plans for the future.
Information flow in an authoritarian state
Mariëlle Wijermars, associate professor of Cyber-security and Politics at FASOS, researches how authoritarian states control the circulation of information. ‘Countries like Russia do this partly by applying internet censorship,’ Wijermars explains. ‘In my research, I look at the measures that limit independent journalism and freedom of expression, such as repressive legislation. Furthermore, I examine how states try to manipulate online platforms to make information less visible, and the role these platforms themselves play in online censorship. Much attention has been paid to propaganda and attempts at foreign interference, including by Russia, but much less to how authoritarian states suppress information. In the Horizon Europe project ARM, we investigate how four authoritarian states try to do this within the European Union.’
Wijermars won this year’s Young Talent and Innovation Award. A great honour and crowning achievement for her valuable work. She will use the 10,000 euros in prize money to hire a student assistant. ‘By collaborating in ongoing research, students will have the opportunity to gain research experience and delve into topics that may not be covered as much in their studies. In this way, funding from the Fund directly contributes to training future researchers and professionals in my field of research.’
Text continues after the image
‘I am immensely proud that I managed to convince the guests at the UM Dinner of the importance of research in the social sciences and humanities.’ – Mariëlle Wijermars
Winner Mariëlle Wijermars with Rianne Letschert, Emile Roemer and Bouwien Janssen
The transition to a fossil-free society
How does it feel to receive the first prize of the Young Talent and Innovation Award FPN researchers Nicole Geschwind and Marjolein Hanssen already speculated about it beforehand. It was a pleasant surprise for the audience when, towards the end of the presentation, a photoshopped image suddenly appeared with the two researchers receiving the award from director Bouwien Janssen, accompanied by an automatic audio recording of applause and a cheering crowd. Unfortunately, they did not win first prize, but the 2,000 euros they received as runners-up was nevertheless a valuable extra boost for their research.
At the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Geschwind and Hanssen conduct research on optimism as a source of renewable energy in the transition to a fossil-free society. ‘The transition requires urgent action and change at different levels, from systemic to individual,’ Geschwind and Hanssen explain. ‘Our project focuses on implementing positive psychology and immersive learning techniques to trigger an optimistic mindset and help people gain a clear vision of an attractive, fossil-free future. We also focus on the role individuals can play in this.’
‘With the prize money, we will add immersive techniques, such as VR and AI, to our workshops.’ – Nicole Geschwind en Marjolein Hanssen
AI Insect Farming
At the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kamil Bujnarowksi researches Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. His Horizon 2020 project CoRoSect uses Cognitive Robotics in insect farming. The world population continues to grow, putting enormous pressure on our food and animal protein production. Insect farms can provide the solution to feed all. ‘Insect farms can be an effective alternative to continue producing enough protein, but the industry needs to grow substantially first,’ Bujnarowksi explained. In his pitch, he showed how a robotic approach could improve productivity, using smart robots capable of collaborating with human colleagues. Together, humans and robots can complete challenging tasks, which one would not be able to do without the other. Bujnarowksi uses the prize money to improve the robot’s physical and cognitive skills.’
‘It was a unique opportunity to present my research at the UM Dinner. Everyone was hugely enthusiastic and the rest of the evening I had valuable in-depth conversations about my project. It was a valuable experience!’