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Lectures are open to the public.
The following text has been machine translated from the German with no human editing.
These are digital traces that have long been generated in everyday life: satellite images, social media posts, search queries, reviews and map services. This data often provides clues as to the direction in which society is developing. The discipline of ‘Computational Social Science’ aims to make such data sources usable for the social sciences with the help of methods from computer science. The aim is to analyse current societal challenges. To this end, Saarland University has launched the interdisciplinary research project SOUNDS (‘Societal Observatory Using Novel Data Sources’).
Satellite imagery can, for example, be used to determine how heavily car parks in a particular region are used, whilst image and movement data reveal how intensively individual playgrounds are utilised. Another approach uses digital traces to identify social debates: for example, social exclusion can be identified from Google reviews of swimming pools. The findings are not intended to serve the commercial interests of large corporations, but rather to answer socially relevant questions, support political decision-making, promote public participation and make democracy more resilient.
The ‘Computational Social Science’ lecture series in the 2026/27 winter semester will present a social issue in each session and demonstrate which digital methods can be used to investigate the question. The series begins on 16 October, when Martin Ulrich will present the SOUNDS project and explain what lies behind the term ‘Computational Social Science’.
On 23October, Prof. Daniela Braun and Prof. Ingmar Weber will present the new data sources that can be utilised for social science research through the integration of computer science and the social sciences – ranging from advertising data on social networks to satellite imagery.
The lecture series, delivered in English, is primarily aimed at students and guest students, but is also open to anyone else who is interested.
Background:
The SOUNDS (‘Societal Observatory Using Novel Data Sources’) transformation project is led by Daniela Braun, Professor of Political Science specialising in European integration and international relations, and Ingmar Weber, Alexander von Humboldt Professor of Artificial Intelligence specialising in societal computing. The state government has been funding SOUNDS since 2025 with 29 million euros from the Saar Transformation Fund for Research and Knowledge Transfer. The project will run until August 2032. Further information is available at: www.uni-saarland.de/sounds
Further information on the lecture series:
https://www.uni-saarland.de/forschen/sounds/veranstaltungen/ringvorlesung.html
For enquiries, please contact:
Dr Martin Ulrich
Co-ordinator, Research Training Group / SOUNDS Certificate Programme
Tel.: +49 681 302-70784
