Personal cybersecurity and knowledge creation with avatars – Rebekah Rousi and Johanna Hautala were granted funding from the Academy of Finland

Research on cybersecurity: privacy experience and ethics

Rebekah Rousi, Associate Professor of Communication and Digital Economy, leads the BUGGED research project on cybersecurity, particularly regarding privacy and ethics. .

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Today, almost every one of us has to consider cyber security in some way. Nevertheless, computers and internet users are repeatedly ignored, for example, in the design, implementation and development of information security solutions and systems. Rousi and her research team will focus on the personal side of cyber security through combining multidisciplinary and particularly cognitive science methods.

– We are increasingly finding out a lot about the technical and legal sides of cyber security. Yet, the impact that these issues have on the human psyche from varied perspectives, how we psycho-physiologically experience matters such as privacy and ethics, and the long-term effects of living with these issues still lacks substantial empirical investigation, says Rousi.

According to Rousi, ethics can be thought of as a moral framework through which we evaluate phenomena in terms of "good" or "bad". These evaluations connect to and trigger our emotional responses. For example, a smart television made by a specific brand that has a reputation for collecting and disclosing data without permission might be evaluated as "bad" and thus trigger negative emotional responses.

Rousi and her research team will conduct a range of studies and experiments in the project. Some of these will be conducted in the VME Interaction Design Environment, a pilot environment for future user interfaces developed by the University of Vaasa.

According to Rousi, the results of the research project may support the development of new solutions for cyber and information security.

How to create knowledge with virtual avatars, holograms and robots?

Johanna Hautala, Associate Professor of Regional Development and Innovation Policy, will lead the four-year BETH project on new ways of creating knowledge as and through virtual avatars, telepresence robots and holograms.

– New geographies of knowledge creation processes are currently emerging with new technologies and teleworking practices. Virtual avatars, holograms and telepresence robots allow us to be in more than one place at the same time. We may be able to share embodied and tacit knowledge in ways that were not possible before. Through new technology we can access and operate in virtual and augmented realities, which can support creativity and innovation in interesting ways, says Hautala.

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Hautala and her research team will be analyzing, how knowledge is created, located, and mobilized as and through these “new beings”.  

– We will make use of a "virtual living room", where we will build collaboration between research groups at the Universities of Vaasa and Turku. At the Vaasa campus, you may also come across a telepresence robot in the facilities of regional studies, which we use regularly to participate in morning coffee discussions and meetings. The robot will be also explored as a new way to teach in some courses of the regional studies, says Hautala.

The new BETH project is based on ideas from Hautala's previous projects, LuotAI, which explores creativity in the AI era, and SMAK, which explores knowledge creation in the AI era.

High scientific quality, strong societal impact and scientific renewal

The Academy of Finland's Commission for Cultural and Social Research awarded nearly €24 million in funding to 44 Academy projects, comprising a total of 60 sub-projects. A total of €210 million was applied for a total of 519 sub-projects. The success rate was 12%.

The Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Culture and Society granted nearly 24 million euros in funding to 44 new Academy projects. The total number of funded subprojects was 60.

In addition to the high scientific quality of the research plan, special attention was given to projects that combine high quality with strong academic and societal impact and scientific renewal.

Rebekah Rousi and Johanna Hautala say they are very happy to receive the funding.

– Yes, I’m extremely happy and excited to be able to use this opportunity to produce world class scientific research in an area that has a major impact on all of our lives in this day and age, says Rousi.

– My faith in my research is strengthened. I appreciate the application process of the Academy of Finland and I know very well what it feels like to not receive funding, so I appreciate the positive decision even more, says Hautala.

For Hautala, this is the third project from the Academy of Finland as a principal investigator (PI).

– Early PI has been able to apply three projects from the Academy of Finland: Academy Postdoctoral project, Academy Research fellow project, and early PI Academy project. I have received all those projects in my career, so we will celebrate this by baking a strawberry cake with my kids.

• “Being(s) There(s)”: Geographies of Knowledge Creation Processes in Extended Spaces and Times / Tiedon jalostamisen maantieteet laajennetuissa ajoissa ja tiloissa (BETH)
  Johanna Hautala
  01.09.2022–31.08.2026
  479 877 euros

• Emotional Experience of Privacy and Ethics in Everyday Pervasive Systems  / Tunteellinen kokemus yksityisyydestä ja etiikasta jokapäiväisessä sulautetussa tietotekniikassa (BUGGED)
  Rebekah Rousi
  01.09.2022–31-08.2026
  500 000 euros

Further information

Rebekah Rousi, tel +358 29 449 8627 rebekah.rousi@uwasa.fi, University of Vaasa
Johanna Hautala, tel +358 29 449 8369 johanna.hautala@uwasa.fi, University of Vaasa