Serious Games in Research – lecture by David Ellerbrake
How can games contribute to scientific research? This question will be explored by David Ellerbrake from TU Dortmund during his guest lecture at the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies (FSE UJEP).
The lecture, titled From Externalities to Intensities: How the Sociality of Serious Games Shapes Knowledge Production and Transformative Changes, will take place on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 4:00 PM in the University Club (FSE UJEP, 4th floor, Moskevská 54, Ústí nad Labem). The event is open to the public and will be conducted in English.
David Ellerbrake is a political scientist and sociologist who focuses on the use of serious games in academic research and knowledge production. His work examines how the social dynamics within these games can lead to transformative changes involving a wide range of stakeholders. In his PhD at the University of Hamburg, he investigates how structured yet open-ended game interactions can facilitate the co-production of knowledge and drive societal transformation.
Since 2022, David has been working as a research manager at TU Dortmund University, focusing on project management and communication of EU-funded collaborative projects. He is involved in LAND4CLIMATE, a project in which UJEP, together with TU Dortmund and 15 other partner institutions, is fostering the regional implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) on private land.
The lecture will be followed by a discussion, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage with the topic and ask questions. We warmly invite all students, researchers, and members of the public interested in the intersection of games, research, and societal change to attend this insightful event.