Medarbejderstafet: Kata Börönte
"Medarbejderstafetten" ("Get to know your colleagues") continues with Kata Börönte who works as a research assistant at the Department of Digital Design and Information Studies. Kata shares her thoughts on working with smart cities and on why Aarhus feels like home (Interview in English).
Name and title: Kata Börönte, research assistant
Department: Digital Design and Information Studies
What do you work with on a daily basis?
- I am part of the Digital Living Research Commons (DLRC), an intellectual and physical space for research, experimentation and education. On a daily basis, I work with one of the founders of the centre, associate professor Martin Brynskov. My work revolves around smart city related EU projects, covering scientific and administrative tasks as well as communications. I am involved in OrganiCity, a project that facilitates a service for anyone in the city to experiment with data, and Synchronicity, an ambitious initiative to deliver a digital single market for IoT-enabled urban services. I started in the DLRC as an intern with Martin as my supervisor while I was writing my Master’s thesis last spring and got hired as a research assistant in September this year.
Tell me something about an object than can be found in your office!
- A big part of the DLRC has to do with working together in the common space, so my office is not that cozy, since I only sit there when I really need to concentrate on something. Therefore, I chose an object from the common space. We have a huge box of LEGOs and that has to be one of my favorite things, because it reminds me of my childhood and it represents the atmosphere here in the centre, a unique mix of creativity, academia and a little bit of quirkiness.
What is the main focus of your work at the moment?
- These days, I’m busy with preparations for the Connected Smart Cities Conference (CSCC), the annual conference of Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC). OASC is an international network of national networks of smart cities, fostering a global smart city market based on the needs of cities and communities, establishing Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs). The conference takes places in Brussels on 11 January so December is a very busy month in the world of smart cities.
Questions from assistant professor Winnie Soon: “Why did you choose to stay in Aarhus, and what was the most interesting event you participated in this year?”
- I have chosen to stay in Aarhus because I feel very much at home here. I have been living in Budapest for the past 6 years. Compared to the Hungarian capital, Aarhus is rather small, but I think the city has a very vibrant, creative atmosphere. I love the open-minded mentality of the Danes and how they master slow living. Weirdly enough I also like the weather here.
- My favorite event this year has been Aarhus Walks on Water in September, a rather unique fashion show mixing fashion with technology, interactive e-textiles and sonic spaces at Dock basin 1 near Mindet and DOKK1. The event was part of Aarhus 2017 and presented by Aarhus University, VIA University College, Headstart Fashion and Filmby Aarhus/Interactive Denmark. I think it was a very impressive event, especially if you have a sweet spot for fashion design and wearables like I do.