Interview for the Vědavýzkum.cz portal with Steriani Elavsky from the Department of Human Movement Studies at the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Ostrava, the most cited Czech scientist in the field of social sciences. Currently, she is preparing the “DigiWELL” project, which focuses on digital technologies to support wellbeing.
The growing interest in personal satisfaction, happiness, positive human development, and quality of life has evolved in recent years into a new multidisciplinary research field, referred to in English as the science of wellbeing. Docent Steriani Elavsky from the Department of Human Movement Studies at the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Ostrava is a respected scientist in the field of social sciences, currently preparing the “DigiWELL” project, which focuses on supporting wellbeing through digital technologies.
„The cutting-edge project DIGIWELL is one of the projects of the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Ostrava, which can help restructure our region.“
For excellent research, half a billion Czech crowns will be allocated from the Jan Amos Komenský Operational Program to the University of Ostrava. The planned project “Excellent Research in the Field of Digital Technologies and Wellbeing” (further DigiWELL) interconnects eight significant institutions from fields such as kinesiology, media studies, informatics, sociology, psychology, or social work. Within the University of Ostrava, the Pedagogical Faculty, the Faculty of Social Studies, and the Institute for Research and Applications of Fuzzy Modeling are involved.
„The cutting-edge project DigiWELL is one of the projects of the Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Ostrava, which can help restructure our region. It is a significant opportunity to connect social research and technologies, thus a great opportunity for Ostrava to become a leader in modern IT applications with an impact on society,“ said Daniel Jandačka, the dean of the Pedagogical Faculty of OU.
The project aims to implement excellent research aims in the safe use of digital technologies for the development of physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. Emphasis is placed on the development of excellent research teams in psychology and social sciences to increase the level of Czech science, particularly in these two areas, as they have not yet reached the global level.
„The project team was created organically from individuals and institutions that have been researching digital technologies and wellbeing for several years. We had a common goal: to significantly advance Czech science in this area through synergistic research that will produce new approaches and methods applicable in practice.“
The supported project focuses on researching the short-term and long-term impacts of using digital technologies on the wellbeing of the general population, experimental research of technologies and wellbeing, the development of personalized digital interventions to support wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle, or the use of E-mental health tools to support mental health and wellbeing.
The project team includes the best Czech scientists in the field of social sciences. „The project team was created organically from individuals and institutions that have been researching digital technologies and wellbeing for several years. We had a common goal: to significantly advance Czech science in this area through synergistic research that will produce new approaches and methods applicable in practice. Most of the scientists involved in the project have significant international experience and are involved in international research,“ said Steriani Elavsky previously for the Věda a výzkum portal. The opportunity to conduct systematic research on DigiWELL can bring leapfrog achievements.
These will affect, for example, junior researchers, who will be significantly involved in research and will have the opportunity to travel to foreign institutions as part of mobility. An impact towards improving information and data literacy in connection with new technologies and reducing the risks of digital exclusion is also expected, as part of the research explicitly focuses on examining digital technologies in vulnerable communities (socially and economically disadvantaged families with at-risk children and seniors).
The project is supported by the The Johannes Amos Comenius Programme (OP JAC), you can find a complete list of supported projects on this page. Jan Amos Komenský is one of the greatest philosophers of Europe. He emphasized that education is a never-ending process and that one must dedicate oneself to it throughout their life. OP JAC emphasizes the necessity of acquiring competencies for lifelong learning, through which individuals can maximize their potential and long-term employability in society. Komenský’s ideas are all the more urgent as the world changes ever more rapidly. The era we live in is becoming increasingly complex, placing new demands on us related to the onset of digitalization, robotization, climate, and social changes. We are part of these changes and seek solutions not only for individuals but also for society and humanity.
