The opening episode of Campus Talks (by our colleagues of Studium Generale Twente) focuses on the hot topic of the corona track & tracing apps, proposed by Health Minister Hugo de Jonge to curb the spread of the virus. It’s a development in which various University of Twente researchers have been involved from the outset.
The initial optimism about these apps soon became overshadowed by all kinds of doubts and reservations, both technical and in terms of the impact on our lives. So what exactly are the technological and social obstacles? Are people likely to use such apps and if so, how?
Professor Peter-Paul Verbeek discussed this issue live in the studio with Professor Lisette van Gemert-Pijnen of the University of Twente, a specialist in how technology can help contain infectious diseases and a member of the Behavioural Sciences Task Force currently advising the Dutch government on its corona policy. Professor Maarten van Steen of the University of Twente’s Digital Society Institute examined the technological potential and limitations of such an app and reveal more about his role in the parliamentary hearings on the corona crisis. The University of Twente is currently holding talks with the public health service (GGD) to discuss what types of technology have a role to play in the corona exit strategy.
The central question for this first Campus Talk is: how can technology help us emerge from the corona crisis?
