Induction into the Young Academy
Dr Jessica Szczuka makes a strong impression
- von Cathrin Becker
- 29.06.2026
They are young, excel in their fields and enjoy thinking outside the box: the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has inducted ten new researchers into the Young Academy. Among them is Dr Jessica Szczuka from the Department of Social Psychology: Media and Communication at the UDE. The psychologist can look forward to initiating her own interdisciplinary research projects and working groups, or participating in existing activities, over the next five years.
“I am delighted to have been admitted to the Young Academy. Following my nomination by the university, I can now, as a new member, contribute my expertise to a group that is exploring the societal significance of artificial intelligence,” said Dr Jessica Szczuka.
The Young Academy, which is supported by the Leopoldina and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, does not admit new members on the basis of specific subject areas, but deliberately selects individuals from a range of disciplines. The topics on which members will conduct joint research and work are determined during the course of their membership through collaborative project work involving all 50 members of the organisation for early-career researchers.
“In my work to date, I have already gained valuable experience in interdisciplinary contexts, particularly through an ongoing collaborative project funded by the BMBF on privacy in intimate chat interactions,” explains Dr Jessica Szczuka. The opportunity to contribute her academic findings more actively to societal discourses and to further develop interdisciplinary perspectives is a particular source of motivation for the expert on digitalised sexuality. “I see great potential in contributing to debates concerning issues of technological development and its regulation, as well as to higher education policy issues, such as working conditions within the academic system.”
After completing her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Applied Cognitive and Media Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Dr Jessica Szczuka completed her PhD on the sexual aspects of human-robot interaction and now works at the Chair of Social Psychology: Media and Communication at the UDE. She founded and heads the INTITEC early-career research group at the Research Centre for Trustworthy Data Science and Security at UA Ruhr: the group investigates how digital media and artificial intelligence influence our relationships and intimacy.
Further information:
https://www.diejungeakademie.de/en
Dr Jessica Szczuka, Social Psychology: Media and Communication, Tel. 0203/379-1293, jessica.szczuka@uni-due.de