Philosophy, sociology and heterodox economics have long challenged reductionism and scientism in the social sciences. Scholars have pointed to the arbitrariness of psychological constructs, and the circularity built into how survey items get pre-structured in psychometrics.

What happens when diplomacy becomes computational and computation becomes a subject of diplomacy? Join us on the 20th of October for Prof. Roland Bouffanais’ fellowship event, ‘Computational Diplomacy: How Computation and Diplomacy Make Each Other.’

What would it take to make purpose-driven business the norm, not the exception? Join us on the 19th of October for a fellowship event with University of Cambridge Professor Christopher Marquis: "Purpose as the End, Not the Means: From a Theory of Purpose-Dominant Firms to the Dutch Model."

What does it take to build a career at the frontier of science and human rights? Join us 18 September for SciSis Meet with Prof. Yvonne Donders! This event is open to early-career researchers, and anyone interested in human rights, science-society interfaces, or pathways in academia.

What does it mean to be original and authentic in a culture increasingly shaped by algorithms, artificial intelligence, and social media? This is the question that artist, filmmaker and educator @barviss.bsky.social will ask in her project Unfluence, as she joins IAS as the new Artist-in-Residence.

We are starting the academic year strong! In September, we are welcoming eight new fellows to the IAS community. Their research spans business sustainability, mathematics and AI, psychology, urban inequality and anticolonial political thought.

Celebrate our 10th anniversary with us during the IAS Festival (18–21 May 2026)! In an exciting week, we reflect and look ahead to the challenges of the future through the Future Challenges sessions. Celebrate a decade of ground-breaking research- ias.uva.nl/ias-festival... #complexity #research

IAS Festival - Institute for Advanced Study IAS

IAS Festival

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How do you manage your impulses? Recent research from the Cognition in Context lab, led by @yukomunakata.bsky.social , suggests that people may have the capacity for self-control but choose when to use it. youtu.be/WiqeaW7Er_I?...

IAS Fellow Yuko Munakata on the effect of adversity on self-control

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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Digital twins could be the future of medical healthcare! These virtual models use machine learning and biomedical simulation to predict outcomes, test treatments, and train surgeons safely. Would you let your digital twin be used in clinical decision-making? youtu.be/xZlYYfGpTSs

IAS fellow Sven Hirsch on the future of medical care with digital twins

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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How can we represent the political voice of the sea? 🌊 Artists and researchers are rethinking human-centred narratives, developing an ecological politics that listens to and represents more-than-human life through deep, active listening.

How can we understand and learn how to manage strategic uncertainty in decision-making? Complex decisions often involve multiple actors, competing incentives, and evolving circumstances. Real insight come from bridging disciplines and modelling the dynamics between them. youtu.be/P82DGHMNQ5U?...

IAS Fellow Femke Bekius on exploring mathematical concepts that can analyse complex decision-making

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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How can we better understand the brain, and even influence its activity? Traditional neuroscience often studies brain regions in isolation, but what if real insight comes from modeling complex, large-scale interactions instead? www.youtube.com/watch?v=twwz...

IAS Fellow Marilyn Gatica on discussing non-invasive neuromodulation techniques and mental health

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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What happens when our online lives become research data? How does AI not only observe but actively construct vulnerability? youtube.com/shorts/nj5jj...

From Vlogs to Data: How AI Shapes Vulnerability in Digital Environments

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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How do our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours shape each other? Traditional psychology assumes mental attributes are hidden drivers of our behaviour, but what if they emerge from dynamic interactions instead? www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnJl...

IAS Fellow Riet van Bork on psychological measurement and its relation to the statistical models

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

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How can we ensure that AI strengthens journalism? As AI becomes more integrated into newsrooms, concerns about transparency accountability and ethics are growing. But there is a deeper challenge that often goes unnoticed: knowledge silos. YouTube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOTN...

IAS Fellow Tomás Dodds on Knowledge Silos as a barrier to responsible AI practices in journalism

YouTube video by UvA Institute for Advanced Study

youtube.com

IAS proudly presents the IAS annual report for 2024! This year’s report reflects our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and connecting disciplines to tackle complex societal and scientific problems. Dive into the full report here: magazines.uva.nl/magazine/ias...

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