One of the largest grants at the University of Lodz will go to humanities scholars – cultural studies, media experts and linguists from the Faculty of Philology, who will begin implementing the innovative and pioneering project Media Lab for Cultural Research in August of the current year.
This is the only research lab of its kind dedicated to cultural studies in Poland. Thanks to the MSBK's equipment, the Faculty of Philology will become a centre combining traditional humanities methods with the latest laboratory approaches. The equipment will also enable the formation of national and international research teams focused on specific research methods and equipment
– explains Wioleta Hencz, who coordinates the project.
Major funding for cultural research
The project, co-financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) and valued at PLN 1,166,485, involves the purchase of advanced equipment enabling, among other things, research using VR, biometrics, eye tracking, audiovisual interviews, and modern data analysis tools. The MSBK, which will be integrated into the infrastructure of the Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz, at Pomorska 171/173, will allow current and future researchers to apply both traditional humanities tools and modern technologies, which until now have been used primarily in the social and natural sciences.
The project consists of several different components that don't have to be located in the same room but rather create a whole that enables the development of humanities research through the use of technology. Among other things, we will have a biometric research component that will allow us to monitor the reactions of experiment participants. Humanities scholars often write about the recipient of content experiencing a specific emotion. Using technical tools, it will be possible to objectively verify whether various physiological responses occur
– adds Prof. Piotr Sitarski, one of the project coordinators.
Interdisciplinary research at the Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz
Thanks to this investment, research conducted at the Faculty of Philology will gain a new quality and enable more accurate, better documented analyses, which will not only enrich the scientific achievements of Polish scientists, but will also be socially useful.
The use of the research station for transmedia and audiovisual translation will enable the application of the results in the translation services market. This applies to both commercial services and those related to expanding cultural circulation and increasing the accessibility of cultural texts, particularly with regard to the inclusion of people with disabilities – integrating, educating, and activating such people, as well as promoting attitudes of equal access to culture
– adds Dr Wioleta Hencz.
In addition to examining traditional genres and radio and television broadcasts, the Media Lab for Cultural Research will also explore new media and communication techniques, such as video games, virtual reality, augmented reality and electronic literature. These areas have significant social and commercial potential, making their study particularly important from a scientific and economic perspective.
We hope that the purchase of this equipment will enable researchers who have not previously encountered this technology to embark on new paths of research. This station will bring together researchers from various disciplines and other centres—from Poland and abroad. It is an opportunity for all academics and researchers at the University of Lodz to consider how modern technology can be applied in the humanities
– complements Prof. Sitarski.
Media Lab for Cultural Research – a forward-looking initiative of the University of Lodz employees
The team working on the project includes employees of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Lodz, including Prof. Piotr Sitarski, Dr Wioleta Hencz, Dr Michał Pabiś-Orzeszyna, mgr Grzegorz Habryn, Prof. Marcin Składanek, Dr Joanna Bachura-Wojtasik, Dr Anna Wendorff, Dr Agnieszka Przybyszewska, Prof. Mikołaj Deckert, mgr Krzysztof Hejduk, Dr Jakub Gortat, Dr Anna Parr-Modrzejewska and Prof. Jarosław Płuciennik.
The MSBK will serve as a platform for cooperation with domestic and international scientific partners, as well as the creative and commercial sectors. Coordinators announce that the equipment will also be available to students wishing to complete their theses using professional analytical tools. The project holds promise for significantly enriching the curriculum of studies at the Faculty of Philology, University of Lodz.
The implementation of this investment is in line with the strategy of the University of Lodz for 2021–2030, which assumes strengthening the position of the University of Lodz as a research university with a strong technological base, open to interdisciplinarity and international cooperation.
