We were delighted to host Professor Jörg Matthes from the University of Vienna during his recent sabbatical with the Mediated Trust team in Sydney.
As Professor Matthes shared, the benefits of a sabbatical are both professional and personal. Stepping back from routine offers a rare chance to gain distance, reflect deeply, and see both life and research with renewed clarity. It’s in these moments of pause that new ideas emerge and long-held assumptions are re-examined.
“The benefits of taking a sabbatical are always twofold—professional and, of course, personal. Sometimes, as in life, when you gain a certain distance from yourself, you begin to see things more clearly. The same applies to research. A sabbatical gives you a different perspective: more time to think, more time to reflect, and more space to make informed decisions about the direction of your work.
Interestingly, when I started as a master’s student in psychology, my thesis focused on trust in news media. So when I saw the focus on trust here at the university, I was immediately intrigued.
Although I’ve only been here a short time, we’ve already launched a special issue for the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media on the topic of trust in generative AI. I also recorded an episode for the podcast series Time for Trust, which I really enjoyed—it was thought-provoking and insightful.
This time has also allowed me to reflect on the broader discourse, and to learn more about how the conversation around trust is unfolding in Australia compared to Europe. Overall, it’s been a deeply enriching experience.”
