"I'm fascinated by how teaching human sciences will evolve"

Béla Kapossy is the new director of EPFL's College of Humanities. He will take up his duties on 1 August. A historian with a keen interest in the political and economic ideas that shaped the modern era, Professor Kapossy shares with us his fascination with new technologies and the social, ethical and philosophical issues they raise. What is your view of the digital humanities? I'm a historian, and my field has specific traditions and teaching methods. Historians are gradually becoming aware of the important role the digital humanities play in research and education. And EPFL is a leader in this area. I'm really looking forward to exploring what different fields of human sciences stand to gain from these technological tools and to see what new questions are raised thanks to or as a result of these technologies - and what sorts of solutions we can come up with. What do we need to be aware of going forward? There is a growing awareness that engineering teachers and students should really learn all they can about how their future discoveries could affect society. In reality, all of the questions raised within the scope of digital humanities - questions of a social, ethical or philosophical nature - break very new ground. The ethics of artificial intelligence and big data require specific training. The human and social sciences can bring a new perspective to what is being done. The digital transformation will present clear challenges to EPFL's various schools, and the College of Humanities will have a key role to play here. How do you think the College will change over time?