The Institute for Information Management and Control hosted students from the Middle European Interdisciplinary Master’s Programme in Cognitive Science (MEi:CogSci) for an excursion to the Sustainable Computing Lab (SCLab), highlighting the institute’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across Austrian and Central European universities as well as advancing its broader science communication mission. The MEi:CogSci programme, jointly organized by Comenius University in Bratislava, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest, the University of Ljubljana, and the University of Vienna together with the Medical University of Vienna, brings together students trained in diverse disciplinary traditions who share a focus on understanding complex cognitive and socio-technical systems.

The visit provided an opportunity for students to engage with the IMC's wide spectrum of research themes and methodologies. Through presentations, demonstrations, and informal discussions with researchers, students gained insight into analytical methods that bridge information systems, computer science, cognitive science, and the social sciences. Such exposure is particularly valuable for emerging scholars who aim to work at the intersection of human cognition, digital infrastructures, and socio-technical transformation.

Excursions of this kind play an essential role in strengthening scientific exchange, enabling students to connect theoretical perspectives with current research practices and to recognize how interdisciplinary cooperation can address pressing technological and societal challenges. By bringing together institutions and learners from multiple countries, these activities contribute to a broader culture of shared scientific responsibility and encourage the development of collaborative research networks that extend beyond disciplinary and national boundaries.

In this context, the excursion functions as a form of IIMC’s science communication by opening ongoing research processes to an external academic audience, enabling early-career scholars to engage directly with cutting-edge methods and research questions. Such transparent and participatory forms of knowledge exchange help cultivate long-term impact by strengthening scientific literacy, fostering critical engagement with digital technologies, and encouraging future collaborations rooted in a shared understanding of societal and technological challenges.