Dr.ir. Mannat Kaur

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Internet Architecture (INET) group at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, led by Prof. Anja Feldmann. I received my PhD from TU Delft, where I studied the human factors of system and network operations and security, supervised by Dr.-Ing. Tobias Fiebig and promoted by Prof. dr. ir. Marijn Janssen. Before that, I completed an MSc in Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, specializing in air transport operations and safety.

I want to help create more equitable, caring digital infrastructures and inclusive workplaces. My research examines the care work and invisible labor involved in running and maintaining digital systems, drawing on feminist research principles and perspectives. More broadly, I am interested in the human–computer interactions and relationships that sustain technological ecosystems, particularly in operations-critical contexts.

Every winter, I teach the ‘Humans of Computing’ seminar where students deep-dive into the gendered aspects of running and securing digital systems. I advise two PhD students who focus on user experiences in the context of digital security, privacy, and autonomy.  

I supervise master’s theses in the following areas:

• Human perspectives on system operations and security
• End-user privacy perceptions
• Perspectives and experiences of marginalized / understudied groups (e.g., South Asian users, women, trans and non-binary people)

If you want to collaborate with me or talk about human aspects of technology, please don’t hesitate to reach out!