From learning to leading in Digital Humanities

Arianna Ciula was among the first students to study the initial incarnation of King's Digital Humanities course in the early 2000s. She shares her remarkable full circle journey from King's student to Director of our Digital Lab - and everything in between.  

A world of opportunities  

'It was 2003. I can still remember the apprehension and excitement as I held the envelope in my hands. Opening it in front of my now late father, I discovered I had been awarded a scholarship to come to London for a year. I would study for a master's degree in Applied Computing in Humanities at King's College London.

'I knew King's was the best place for what I wanted to study and I was not to be disappointed. Renowned as a pioneer and global leader in the design and development of computational methods in humanities research, King's opened up a world of opportunities for me. 

'There were only four of us students attending the course at the time, a significant contrast to the hundreds enrolled in the rich variety of courses offered in Digital Humanities today. The centre, then known as the Centre for Computing in the Humanities, with which I was affiliated, had a strong network across Europe, North America and beyond.  

'During the summer I was working on my dissertation, focusing on the application of digital methods to the analysis of ancient handwriting, I was sent to Sweden to attend the international Digital Humanities Conference. This is an ongoing series, now called the Alliance for Digital Humanities Organisations Conference. Here, I met with what was an emerging but welcoming international community.

Innovative thinkers  

'During my time at King's, I was trained by innovative thinkers in the most advanced methods at the time on texts and data analysis, with solid theoretical foundations and exposure to practices. I started contributing to a variety of research projects as an intern, then as a research assistant and associate after graduation.

'Being part of collaborative teams alongside inspiring researchers and creative research technology professionals helped me recognise the importance of interdisciplinary research processes, management and policy beyond single domains of expertise.  

'My career took me elsewhere after a few years. I worked as a science officer in Strasbourg, became a mum in Singapore, then a research facilitator back in the UK. I continued to nurture my interest at the intersection of humanities and the digital, contributing to the community via events, teaching, service roles and publications.  

Return to King's

'When King's Digital Lab was set up in 2015, I got in touch with its founding director, applied for an analyst role and joined the team in 2017. I became director of the Lab in 2022.

'Entering a career in interdisciplinary practice-based spaces can feel daunting due to the potential lack of recognition and defined career development pathways, especially when compared to more established research domains. However, it's within these spaces that creative thinking materialises and innovation happens. 

'I'm grateful for King's investment in digital research on cultural artefacts and phenomena, blending robust creative software engineering with humanities research. This combination enables us to shape a better future for the critical and responsible design, development and use of digital technologies.'