Support the networked society of tomorrow
PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES
Digitalisation is affecting all areas of life and has not been the subject of much research to date. Who regulates algorithms? Who owns personal data? How is the working world changing? What power do platforms have? What do innovations need to succeed? What are the challenges of the emerging digital society, and how can new technologies be used in a meaningful way that serves the public interest?
Philanthropy needs a scientific foundation in order to effectively apply solutions to social challenges.
– Center for Philanthropy Studies
In order to effectively implement solutions to societal challenges, we first need basic scientific research. We are dependent on your support in order to continue to investigate and critically inform the digital transformation. The non-profit and independent Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) is the first institute in Germany to set itself the task of investigating the networked society from an interdisciplinary perspective and is thus a pioneer in this field of research. Your funding can really help us to answer the essential questions of our time, enable our research to have a lasting effect and thus allow society to engage in a well-founded discourse on digitalisation processes.
General Sponsorship
Do you want to contribute to research on the digital society or are interested in topics such as data protection? You are welcome to donate directly to strengthen the dialogue on the effects of the digitalisation process.Contact
We would be pleased to introduce the foundation in a personal meeting in Berlin and discuss the topics that are particularly close to your heart. For information on cooperation opportunities and the advantages of your involvement, please contact Jennifer Wollniok.
Go on a great expedition with us. Just as Alexander von Humboldt once embarked on a great research mission, so have we: we want to understand the dynamic interactions between the internet and society and thus shape a global, sustainable and democratic society. For Humboldt, a pioneer of interdisciplinary research and explorer of foreign worlds, sharing and circulating knowledge was an important part of academic work – “Ideas can only be useful if they come alive in many minds”. As a founding member of the European Hub for Internet and Society Research, HIIG is actively engaged in strengthening European internet research and in connecting European research institutes.
Do you want to strengthen Europe’s voice in the international debate on the internet and society, give something back to society and contribute to scientific knowledge creation and transfer? With your financial support, you can help us to explore the tension between innovation and governance and open the black box behind bits and bytes!
Research programmes
HIIG’s research work currently focuses on various interdisciplinary questions.
- The Development of the Digital Society: What will a digital society whose structures and processes are increasingly based on algorithms and automation look like? What theories and concepts can help us to understand and explain this extensive transformation?
- Data, Actors, Infrastructures: How is sensitive data currently secured and who guarantees users’ privacy? What responsibilities do private companies have?
- Knowledge & Society: How do societal actors process scientific findings? How are digital learning innovations changing higher education?
These and other questions are a key concern for our interdisciplinary and international research team. Your donations support their essential work and make an important contribution to researching digital society. More information on HIIG’s research work and current projects can be found here.
Research projects
We are also working on specific projects – from data protection, platforms and freedom of expression on the net to artificial intelligence:
- How can we develop and design technologies for the common good? How is artificial intelligence influencing political, social and cultural processes?
- How can we make data from private and public organisations usable for the common good, while respecting the legitimate interests of all stakeholders?
- What challenges and opportunities does digitalisation offer to institutions?
- How can start-ups cooperate with communities and established companies? How is digitalisation influencing innovation and social entrepreneurship?
- How can we regulate intermediaries such as online social networks, instant messaging services, search engines or video portals? What business models for platforms are sustainable?
- What digital and social innovations do we need to create healthy citizens in resilient cities?
- How is digitalisation changing voluntary work and activism?
Knowledge transfer
Since our institute was founded, we have made it our mission to communicate the findings of our research to the general public and to stimulate exchange and discussion.
Through numerous formats such as the Digitaler Salon, the lecture series Making Sense of the Digital Society, the open access journal Internet Policy Review, the exhibition twentyforty or various conferences, workshops, pop-up labs and roundtables, important ideas and research results have found their way into the public domain – both in live, in-person events and as live streams.
By supporting our work in knowledge transfer, you will be strengthening the dialogue between science, politics, business and society. We would like to invite you to come and see for yourself at one of our next events. To stay informed about our institute’s activities, publications and events, please subscribe to our newsletter.
Topics such as cybersecurity, smart cities, data protection, big data or the regulation of digital platforms are their research topics: we’re talking about the young academics and internationally renowned guest researchers who are constantly bringing new and international perspectives on current digital society issues to our team. Through a sponsorship, you can support their stay.
Doctoral Researchers
Fellows & Visiting Researchers
We have guest researchers and fellows from all over the world visiting us in Berlin via various programmes.