International collaboration thrives on personal exchange, which is precisely the focus of a current research visit. Eileen Wemmer, a research associate in the Human-Technology Interaction group at inIT led by Prof. Dr. mult. Carsten Röcker, is currently spending three months as a visiting scholar at Hasselt University in Belgium.
There, she is working with Prof. Dr. Gustavo Rovelo Ruiz, leader of the research group and a long-standing collaborator of inIT.
A long-standing partnership with a promising future
The collaboration between inIT and Hasselt University has evolved over several years. In the past, Hitesh Dhiman, a research associate with the Human-Technology Interaction Working Group, was based in Belgium.
The collaboration has also yielded several joint research papers, including Fostering Eudaimonia: Design to Support Virtues and Practical Wisdom and a joint workshop paper for the ACM Workshop Paper 2025 on Well-Being Design. These works explore how interactive technologies can strengthen virtues and practical decision-making skills.
Technology for a “fulfilling life”
At the heart of this current collaboration is the question of how technologies can be designed to promote human well-being in a sustainable way.
The research approach deliberately goes beyond traditional concepts: Instead of short-term satisfaction, the focus is on so-called eudaimonic well-being—that is, the question of how digital systems can help support a fulfilling and reflective life.
Together with the research group led by Prof. Dr. Gustavo Rovelo Ruiz, this approach is being further developed in a work context. Both sides contribute complementary perspectives from design, technology, and behavioral research.
The researchers are currently developing a joint study that specifically examines these questions. Following the conceptual development, the first pilot phases are now underway.
Exchange, Synergies, and New Ideas
In addition to the substantive work, the research visit is characterized above all by close on-site collaboration.
“I’m really happy to be here. There’s an incredible amount of interaction and many synergies with a wide variety of people and projects. Prof. Dr. Gustavo Rovelo Ruiz’s research group is very open, helpful, and supportive of one another,” says Eileen Wemmer, describing her experience.
Even beyond the realm of research, Hasselt leaves a lasting impression: the city is small, vibrant, and offers a high quality of life. Whether visiting one of the local chocolate bars or enjoying the cherry blossoms in the Japanese garden—the research stay deliberately makes room for new experiences outside the lab.
International Collaboration as an Integral Part of inIT
This research visit serves as a prime example of how international collaboration is deeply rooted at inIT: it brings people, ideas, and perspectives together, thereby laying the groundwork for new scientific approaches and a strong international network.