The Department of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LiAS) brings together key areas of human cognition and its relationship to artificial intelligence, sustainability and energy, as well as political communication and AI. This contributes significantly to UTN’s strategic focus on artificial intelligence. The department combines empirical social science methods with philosophical and historical reflection, hermeneutic approaches, and mathematical modeling.
Together with the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (CSAI), LiAS further develops methods in generative AI and applies them in both research and reflection. Key areas include the interaction between human and artificial intelligence, the development of sustainable energy systems, and the analysis of political communication in the age of AI.
Open Day of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Programs
April 17, 2026, 2:30–4 p.m., Online
For the first time, the German Liberal Arts and Sciences programs invite prospective students to a joint Open Day. In addition to UTN, the University of Freiburg, the University of Hamburg, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Leuphana College Lüneburg, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will also present their programs.
Call for Abstracts – Workshop “Knowing by Example”
The workshop warmly welcomes contributions from Classicists, Sinologists, Judaists, Medieval and Early Modern scholars, philosophers, historians of science, epistemologists, and researchers from related disciplines. We invite applications from advanced PhD candidates to senior researchers and particularly encourage contributions that engage across disciplinary and cultural boundaries.
Human Cognition and AI: Psychology and Philosophy
Generative artificial intelligence has revived the question of what intelligence actually is. This is not only about whether and in what sense artificial intelligence can be called intelligent. It also raises the question of what forms of human cognition exist and how AI tools can meaningfully support them. With robots as a form of embodied artificial intelligence, the relationship between intelligence, action, autonomy, and responsibility is also coming more clearly into focus.
UTN conducts research on human cognition with expertise in philosophy, psychology, social sciences, computer science, and mathematics. In doing so, historical and analytical methods are combined with empirical social science, cognitive science, neuroscience, and mathematical methods and brought into the discussion for technology development by the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.
At the Department of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the following research groups are working together with the AI research groups of the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence on these questions:
Classics
Early Modern
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Sustainability and Energy: Mathematics and Economics
The department brings together applied mathematics and economics to develop models for more efficient and robust energy systems. The focus is on discrete optimization methods that structure networks and markets under uncertainty and enable robust decisions. Together with computer scientists at the CSAI Department, synergies are created between generative artificial intelligence methods and discrete optimization to analyze complex scenarios and develop innovative system solutions.
Analytics and Optimization
Applied Discrete Mathematics
Discrete Optimization
Energy Systems and Market Design
Career opportunities
Our department is growing and offers attractive opportunities for an academic career. We are looking for motivated individuals for professorships and doctoral positions who are eager to actively contribute to research and teaching. Current openings can be found on our careers page.
Education
The department plays a key role in developing the interdisciplinary master’s program Human and Artificial Intelligence. The English-language program combines computer science, psychology, and philosophy, providing both technical foundations in artificial intelligence and an understanding of its applications and impact on society and the economy. Interdisciplinary projects and research-oriented teaching foster the development of innovative solutions.
Learn more about the master’s program Human and Artificial Intelligence
Networking and Collaboration with Other Universities
Our department works closely with universities and research institutions in both research and teaching. If you are interested in collaborating with us, we would be pleased to hear from you:
