The Fellows Club Meets... the Einstein Center Digital Future
The third Fellows Forum, The Berlin University Alliance Fellows Club Meets… the Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF), took place on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Bringing together BUA Fellows from across disciplines and career stages with researchers from the ECDF, the event opened with an introduction to the organizational objectives, research opportunities and outlooks of both the BUA and ECDF by Head of Management Unit Cross-Cutting Themes Camilla Leathem and Managing Director Bettina Liedtke, respectively.
A panel discussion titled Futures of Knowledge in the Digital Age convened experts on applied large language models, open science principles, bibliometrics and academic publishing and responsible innovation frameworks—all topics of high interest to researchers from all fields. Moderated by Prof. Dr. Manfred Hauswirth of TU Berlin, the discussion featured BUA Fellows Prof. Dr. Thed van Leeuwen of Leiden University and Dr. Rosalyn Old of FU Berlin, as well as ECDF researchers Prof. Dr. Michelle Mihaljević of HTW Berlin and Prof. Dr. Michelle Christensen of TU Berlin.
Panelists identified challenges presented by the rapidly increasing application of machine learning models throughout academia, citing bias in algorithms, floods of low-quality, machine-produced publications, and how open access sources are used to improve proprietary models with little transparency or accountability. Proposed solutions included applying responsible innovation frameworks to shape digital transformations that dismantle, rather than exacerbate, existing inequalities and leveraging the intersection of the diversity and open science movements to challenge the very biased and proprietary nature of today’s most pervasive digital technologies. In the end, panelists were in agreement that human-led decision making in open science, alongside robust computational research focusing on understanding, reproducibility, and open, accountable systems, can promote a less biased and more open digital future.
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Since its launch in November 2024, Fellows of the Berlin University Alliance are invited to attend an installation of the Fellows' Forum event series each semester.
Also featuring a panel discussion titled Methods of Inclusion: Designing Research for a Plural World and moderated by Dr. Sarah Bellows-Blakely of FU Berlin's Margherita von Brentano Zentrum, the Fellows Forum brought together international and Berlin-based researchers to exchange about the challenges and opportunities for inclusive research design across scientific disciplines. BUA Fellows Dr. Fariha Azad of TU Berlin and Dr. Matthias König of HU Berlin showcased their research on quantum physics and computational approaches to healthcare, respectively, in dialogue with ECPD sociologists and demographers Dr. Lara Bister and Prof. Dr. Michaela Kreyenfeld. The panel discussion shed light on the demand for reflection on how developments in the physical and life sciences can contribute to and magnify existing social inequalities and the pressing need to promote integrated, transdisciplinary collaboration to uncover inclusive and responsible methodologies.
The Fellows Forum event series aims to provide a welcoming atmosphere for new and established Fellows within the Berlin University Alliance and its Clusters of Excellence and to foster collaboration. A catered networking reception followed the panel, in which participants exchanged about both their ongoing work and their favorite spots for newcommers to Berlin using a city map and pinboard.
With a focus on research as well as professional and personal experiences of Berlin as a science location, the Fellows Forum combines insightful contributions with discussion and networking opportunities. In this way, the event series helps to create a forum to support exchange and networking within the unique and international BUA community of the Fellows Club.
The Fellows Forum takes place at least twice a year. The next meeting will take place in autumn/winter 2025. Further information will be published as soon as it is available.
BUA Fellows at the Fellows Forum Launch
The first Fellows Forum took place on Monday, November 4th, 2024, at the Max Planck Society's Harnack House.
The Forum aims to provide a welcoming atmosphere for new and established Fellows within the Berlin University Alliance and its Clusters of Excellence and to foster collaboration.
With a focus on research as well as professional and personal experiences of Berlin as a science location, the first Fellows Forum combined insightful contributions with discussion and networking opportunities. In this way, the event series helps to create a forum to support exchange and networking within the unique BUA community of the Fellows Club.
The Fellows Forum now takes place at least twice a year.