Zeynep Birsel
Zeynep Birsel is a senior researcher, art-science at Waag Futurelab. She has twenty years of professional experience in working with scientists, designers and academic entrepreneurs developing early stage technologies and designing for sustainable, open innovation and associated policy making. Her current PhD research focuses on designing transdisciplinary collaborative models, distributed and participatory knowledge creation and methods integrating art, science and technology, through creative research and cultural production. At Waag she is involved extensively in S+T+ARTS program of the European Commission, where she co-designs and implements collaborative research residencies engaging artists with science and technology partners as well as communities of practice.
Zeynep Birsel co-leads the Industrial emissions Living Lab in Pillar III with Mercedes Leipoldt. The Living Lab is located in the IJmond Region, where citizen science collaboration Hollandse Luchten has been active since 2018. Within the Living Lab, activities are constantly being organised around joint monitoring plans focused specifically on factory operations and shipping, collaborative data-analysis and creating action perspectives for all stakeholders. Based on the needs of the stakeholders, tools will be co-developed for monitoring air quality in collaboration with Pillar I. The aim is to increase citizens and local governments agency to collectively monitor, analyse and make policies around air quality.
"Successful citizen science starts with a reciprocal collaboration between local communities, researchers, and policymakers to make sure societal values are the foundation."
