Research at the Media Lab

Department of Media

From an artistic and design perspective, the research subject of the Media Lab is digital media, how is it created and used and what is its potential impact in society. Our research engages in practical and theoretical activities covering both traditional and new categories in non-conventional ways.

Learning Environments Research Group, a few cardboard rectangles with different-colour circles and squares glued on them.

Our focus on digital media as harbinger of the latest trends in audio-visual production is also important in much of our research. Our research encompasses multi-modality and cross-media tools and methods, textual, visual, auditory, and most recently tactile as well as gesture-based communication channels and interfaces. Since 2000 we have been researching the use of visualization and information design in order to create new forms of visual literacy and communication. Nevertheless, we also emphasize and are committed to further development of excellence in communication through artistic practices.

Our research staff is engaged in a wide variety of tasks, from developing and leading research projects, working in research groups, teaching and guiding doctoral dissertations, to lecturing in the Master of Arts program. As of March 2017, there are more than 40 full time and part-time doctoral students in the Lab. The current ratio of student to faculty for post-graduate studies is 1:7.

The research activities at Media Lab have been actively developed since 1995 and are organized through thematic research groups with projects. These research groups play an important role in our education programs, not only in terms of the contents and themes that they develop but also, because they bring the networks, the real-world concerns and the competitiveness of research and development environments into our international and multicultural educational framework.

Visiting scholars as well as post-graduate students can join a research group as assistant researcher or as a researcher. A dissertation theme for example, can be aligned with a topic of research within a given group.