UGR MediaLab acts as a meeting point for research, analysis, and the dissemination of opportunities generated by digital technologies in the areas of culture and society. The UGR MediaLab is part of the University of Granada’s Vice-Rectorate for Research and Knowledge Transfer.
It strives to serve as an open laboratory for the generation of proposals at the University and in society, as a research hub, and as an experimental space for exploring creativity and new ways of generating knowledge in digital societies. The Lab places special emphasis on prototyping and open knowledge (a superset encompassing the concepts of open data, open content and open access).
The UGR MediaLab has been developed as a cross-sectional open space by, and for, the University and society. It operates both as a physical hub and via social networks, with a view to connecting and (re)combining knowledge generated at the University and in society, particularly emphasizing the value of digital cultures in this process. An important objective of the UGR MediaLab is to incorporate technology within the frameworks of knowledge generation, social interaction, and public engagement.
The UGR MediaLab offers a specially designed working environment which fosters collaborations and knowledge exchanges, placing value on pressing societal concerns and personal pursuits. Moreover, the Lab stresses the importance of informal learning contexts and close working relationships, in line with the proposals of other laboratories such as the Prado MediaLab in Madrid.
The UGR MediaLab - a key entity at the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Knowledge Transfer - is structured horizontally, thereby making the most of potential opportunities, resources and networks from diverse centres and bodies at the UGR. It also enables these different centres to forge lasting ties with each other, as well as with other academic bodies and organisations in society.
The Lab encourages proposals and provides support during open calls for applications, promoting active and broader participation in collaborative project development. In order to achieve this goal, the Lab runs a broad array of training courses, workshops, conferences, debates, group work sessions and seminars throughout the year.
Moreover, the UGR MediaLab is active both in the physical and digital spheres, employing a natural and holistic work ethic that prevents discontinuities. It goes beyond artificial distinctions between the developmental aspects that contribute to shaping the Lab’s identity and the people working in it.