Freia Kuper
Freia Kuper is a researcher on the AI and Gender Equality project, which forms part of the research focus area Societal Values, Transformation and Artificial Intelligence. Previously, she was a researcher in the projects Organisational Resilience and Creativity: Exploring the Future of Educational Technology (ORC) and Capacities and Competencies in Dealing with Hate Speech and Hostility towards Science (KAPAZ) within the Democratic Change and Knowledge research focus. She also carried out an interview study with the Public Interest AI research group on the use of artificial intelligence for the public interest. At the Museum for Natural History Berlin she worked on user imaginaries at play in the digitization of the museum collections. Her overall research interest concerns digital infrastructures as spaces of knowledge production and dissemination.
Freia studied Molecular Medicine (B.Sc.) and Universität Ulm and Istanbul Üniversitesi and Science Studies (M.A.) at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. She finished her master program with an ethnographic study on the maintenance of an immunological database in San Diego, USA. Besides, she is the editor of the “hinterlands magazine”, a magazine showcasing diverse narratives from Europe’s rural regions.
Science & education · Science engagementCapacities and competencies in dealing with hate speech and hostility towards science
The KAPAZ project develops strategies and practical tools to make the science system more resilient to hostility in public discourse.
Science & educationOrganisational Resilience and Creativity: Exploring the Future of Educational Technology
How can educational technology be creatively contribute to building resilient universities and equip them to cope with future change?
AI · Society & cultureAI and Gender Equality
The project reviews research on AI and structural gender inequality, identifying problem areas, research gaps and fields of action for policy and practice.
Politics & law · Science & education · Science engagementRepository for scientific policy and society advice
Political decisions are increasingly based on empirical research results. The project makes advisory documents specifically searchable and develops quality standards.
Science & educationOrganisational Adaptivity in the German Higher Education Context
In this project, we investigate the digitalisation of higher education, with a focus placed on exploring the implementation of teaching and learning innovations.
Science & education · Society & cultureIMPaQT – Indicators, Measurement and Performance of Quality Assurance: Third-Mission-Activities in the Social Sciences
The research project “IMPaQT” is about making knowledge transfer from research to society measurable through quality criteria and indicators.
Journal articles and conference proceedings (5)
Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Sievering, M., & Schäfer, L. O. (2025). Strategic ambiguities: Exploring the role of digitalisation strategies in university teachers’ engagement with educational technology. European Journal of Higher Education, 1-19. DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2025.2486788 Publication details
Laufer, M., Schäfer, L.O., Kuper, F., & Deacon, B. (2025). Building resilient and creative universities: Exploring the new normal for eight universities across Europe. Discover Education, 4, 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s44217-025-00580-w Publication details
Züger, T., Kuper, F., Fassbender, J., Katzy-Reinshagen, A., Kühnlein, I. (2023). Handling the hype: Implications of AI hype for public interest tech projects. TATuP – Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice, 32(3), 34-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/tatup.32.3.34 Publication details
Fecher, B., Kuper, F., Fähnrich, B., Schmid-Petri, H., Schildhauer, T., Weingart, P., & Wormer, H. (2022). Balancing interests between freedom and censorship: Organizational strategies for quality assurance in science communication. Science and Public Policy, scac043, 1-14. DOI: 10.1093/scipol/scac043 Publication details
Fecher,B., Kuper, F., Sokolovska, N., Fenton, A., Hornbostel, S., & Wagner, G.G. (2021). Understanding the Societal Impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities: Remarks on Roles, Challenges, and Expectations. Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 6. DOI: 10.3389/frma.2021.696804 Publication details
Edited works (1)
Efferenn, F., Kuper, F., Mosene, K., & Scheuermann, B., Wunderlich, L., & Ziedler, S. (Eds.) (2025). encore: 2025/2026. Berlin, Germany: Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17912843 Publication details
Working paper (2)
Broer, I., Ibert, O., Kuckeland, N., Kuper, F., & Müller, F. C. (2024). Lost (and Found) in Translation: Thesen zur Übersetzungsleistung von Beratungsdokumenten an der Schnittstelle von Wissenschaft und Politik. LeibnizInstitut für Medienforschung | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI); Leibniz-Institut für Raumbezogene Sozialforschung (IRS). DOI: https://doi.org/10.21241/ssoar.94211 Publication details
Züger, T., Faßbender, J., Kuper, F., Nenno, S., Katzy-Reinshagen, A., & Kühnlein, I. (2022). Civic Coding: Grundlagen und empirische Einblicke zur Unterstützung gemeinwohlorientierter KI. Civic Coding Initiative. Publication details
Other publications (11)
Watolla, A., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Henker, L., Aust, A. (2026). Resilience & Creativity Canvas, . Publication details
Watolla, A., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Henker, L., Aust, A. (2026). Resilience and creativity in higher education. A short introduction to theory and practices for working with the Resilience & Creativity Canvas, . Publication details
Watolla, A., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Henker, L., Aust, A. (2026). Strengthening resilience and creativity in higher education institutions. A workshop playbook to initiate a multileveled reflection process. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Publication details
Watolla, A., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Henker, L., Aust, A. (2026). Navigating Crisis: The Learn-and-Do Kit to strengthen resilience through creativity within higher education institutions. Graphite Page.. Publication details
Sokolovska, N., Holscher Blackman, K., Henkes, L. M., & Kuper, F. (Eds.) (2026). Tackling hostility towards scientists. Five complementary educational resources to equip institutions and individual researchers with knowledge and skills. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Publication details
Kuper, F. & Henkes, L. M. (2024). Debunking Science Myths: Preconceptions about science put to the test. Digital Society Blog. Publication details
Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Mende, M. A., Schäfer, L. O., Tschache T., & Deacon, B. (2023). Organizing Digital Change at the University. The Practitioners’ Field Guide for Implementing Educational Technology. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Publication details
Züger, T., Katzy-Reinshagen, A., Fassbender, J., Kuper, F., & Kühnlein, I. (2022). Civic Coding. Empirische Erkenntnisse und Empfehlungen zur Unterstützung gemeinwohlorientierter KI. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Publication details
Fecher, B., Sokolovska, N., Kuper, F., & Fenton, A. (2021). Impact der Gesellschaftswissenschaften – (Wie) Kann man ihn messen? Wissenschaftskommunikation.de. Publication details
Timm, M., Sokolovska, N., Kuper, F., Mosene, K. (2021). Fehlende Digitalpolitik bei den Triellen der Kanzlerkandidat:innen – Eine Emanzipation der Wähler:innenschaft. Digital society blog. Publication details
Fecher, B., Sokolovska, N., Kuper, F., & Fenton, A. (2021). Impact of social sciences – (How) Can it be measured? Elephant in the Lab. Publication details
Lectures and presentations (9)
Framing the Digital Turn: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Resilience and EdTech Narratives in Higher Education
Ein Krisendiskurs über Resilienz und Bildungstechnologien an Hochschulen
Crisis Talk: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Resilience and Edtech at the University
How can open science platforms connect science and policy-making?
Sensemaking and the future university: Exploring the role digitalization strategies play for university teachers’ engagement with EdTech
Ein Diskurs über Verantwortung – Krise, Resilienz und EdTech an Hochschulen
Paper Presentation
Talk at University:Future Festival 2023
Civic Coding Fachveranstaltung
Moderation of workshops and panels (1)
Ausstellung: Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2024
Organisation of events (3)
From 19.03.2026 to 19.03.2026. Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft, Berlin, Germany (National) Further information
Ann-Kathrin Watolla, Freia Kuper, Bronwen Deacon, Lena Marie Henkes, Anna Aust
Dealing with hostility in science communicationFrom 07.07.2025 to 08.07.2025. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany (International) Further information
Anna Aust, Katherina Holscher Blackman, Freia Kuper, Nataliia Sokolovska
Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft22.06.2024. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany (National) Further information
Philipp Mahlow, Birte Lübbert, Maurice Stenzel, Alina Kontareva, Daniel Pothmann, Nele Buß, Irina Kühnlein, Sarah Spitz, Freia Kuper, Sami Nenno, Freya Hewett, Frederik Efferenn, Georg von Richthofen, Sonja Köhne, Bronwen Deacon, Matthias C. Kettemann, Thomas Christian Bächle, Nataliia Sokolovska, Martin Wrobel, Jörg Pohle, Hendrik Send, Theresa Züger, Jeanette Hofmann
Position
Researcher: Societal Values, Transformation and Artificial Intelligence
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