Prof. Anna Foka, Uppsala University, Sweden
Professor Anna Foka is an esteemed scholar in Digital Humanities, currently serving as Director at the Centre for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Uppsala University, Sweden. With expertise spanning cultural heritage, AI integration, and archives, she has contributed significantly to bridging the fields of information technology and the humanities. Her career includes notable appointments in Sweden, the UK, and Australia, and she has been involved in several high-profile international projects aimed at enhancing digital methodologies within the humanities.
Profile
Orcid
Education 🎓
Professor Foka’s academic journey reflects a commitment to interdisciplinary studies. She earned her PhD in Archaeology, Classics, and Egyptology from the University of Liverpool, UK (2009), preceded by an MA in the same field (2005). She also holds a Bachelor’s in Media Theatre and Performance Studies from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2003), where she graduated with distinction. Further career milestones include her promotion to Associate Professor at Umeå University (2016) and to Professor in Digital Humanities at Uppsala University (2023).
Experience 🏛️
Professor Foka’s academic career is distinguished by roles in leading institutions, currently as a tenured Professor in Digital Humanities at Uppsala University. She has been the Director at the Centre for Digital Humanities Uppsala since 2021 and previously held positions as Associate Professor and Scientific Leader. Her roles have emphasized research coordination, AI mentorship, and leadership in digital humanities, including her tenure at Humlab, Umeå University, where she spearheaded several digital humanities projects.
Research Interest 🔬
Professor Foka’s research spans digital humanities, AI applications in cultural heritage, and the intersection of technology and the humanities. Her recent projects explore AI’s role in archives, as seen in her role as Principal Investigator for projects funded by major bodies like the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems, and Software Program. She also has research interests in digital visualization and the analysis of cultural heritage data, contributing insights to the evolving landscape of digital scholarship.
Awards 🏆
Professor Foka has earned several distinguished grants and awards, underscoring her contribution to digital humanities. She has received substantial funding from the Swedish Research Council, the Wallenberg Foundation, and European Union bodies for her innovative projects. Her accolades include leadership roles in prestigious initiatives such as “Quantifying Culture” and “HumInfra: Swedish Digital Humanities Infrastructure,” which have reinforced her impact in the field.
Selected Publications 📚
Griffin, G., Wenneström, E., & Foka, A. (2023) – AI and Swedish Heritage Organisations: Challenges and Opportunities. AI and Society, London: Springer.
Barker, E.T.E., Konstantinidou, K., Kiesling, B., & Foka, A. (2023) – Journeying through Space and Time with Pausanias’s Description of Greece. Literary Geographies 9(1), pp. 124-160.
Foka, A., Demiroglu, C., Konstantinidou, K., et al. (2021) – Visualising Pausanias’s Description of Greece with Contemporary GIS. Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, Oxford: OUP, 37(3), pp. 716-724.