19 May 2025

On March 28, Emma Mainza Chilufya at the Department of Computer and Information Science (IDA) successfully defended her thesis about human-computer interaction. "Being a PhD student at IDA has been eye-opening and inspiring", she says.

Emma with VR headset on her head
Emma Mainza Chilufya

Congratulations on your PhD! What was your background when you started your PhD?

"Thank you. I earned my Master’s in Computer Science from Malmö University in 2016. Subsequently, I worked in the industry as technical support for four years before commencing my PhD studies."

What is it like to be a PhD student at IDA?

"Being a PhD student at IDA has been eye-opening and inspiring. It was easy to have quick discussions with colleagues about their research and to openly discuss your own research. The fikas with the COIN group were a great place for such discussions. Tom Ziemke and Mattias Arvola provided excellent opportunities to enhance my research and learning outcomes during the PhD. These are tools I will carry with me in my future pursuits."

What is your next step?

"With my PhD complete, I am winding up my research and teaching activities by the end of the semester. I will then be looking to pursue a research position to continue exploring my research in designing human-centred technologies."

Emma Mainza Chilufya's summary of her thesis

My thesis investigates the design of interactive interfaces for Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) within social interactive spaces, focusing on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) through the lenses of situated cognition and mediated action. It examines how IVAs, as mediators, facilitate interactions between users and their environments, influencing user decisions and behaviours.

The research addresses the gap in user participation methodologies in IVA design by involving users in the conceptual generation and prototyping phases. Through two case studies, the thesis highlights the importance of context, mediation patterns, and interaction spaces in IVA design. The thesis introduces novel design approaches and competencies for creating IVAs in social interactive spaces, presenting exemplars of IVAs in these environments.

Organisation

Latest news from LiU

Space is not just technology, also a place for culture and ethics

In the shadow of rockets, satellites and billionaires’ space projects, a new field of research is emerging. It is about understanding space also as an arena for culture, politics and ethics.

Ahead of the COP30 climate summit: “It’s looking really bad.”

Not enough is being done, and not fast enough. That is the harsh assessment made by LiU researchers Mathias Fridahl and Maria Jernnäs ahead of this year’s major international climate summit in Brazil.

Firefighter infront of wrecked car.

Research on exoskeletons and cleaners receives SEK 16.7 million

LiU receives SEK 16.7 million from AFA Försäkring for research in the field of work environment and health. The projects concern exoskeletons, cleaning staff, part-time managers and digital work environments in health and social care.