Why I’m a Social Scientist in an Innovation School

I have an academic background in international development, public policy and decision science, and then I worked in transportation planning for five years in the United States before joining the Chulalongkorn School of Integrated Innovation (ScII). So I often get asked, “Why do you work on innovation?” or “Oh, but you know how to code, right?” I’ll answer the last question first—not really, other than the bit I did in statistics courses in grad school. The first question has a longer answer, and I will use two popular apps to help me respond.  

Grab, and MuvMi have arguably changed the way people and goods in Thailand move around (Note: this is not an endorsement of either company, although in full disclosure I use both very often). Grab began as a start-up featuring an on-demand taxi service in Malaysia and has grown into the super-app we all in Thailand (and other parts of Southeast Asia) now know. MuvMi began as a start-up at Chulalongkorn University and offers an on-demand Electric Vehicle (EV) tuk-tuk service in a growing number of areas in Bangkok and a tourist-focused, on-demand, hop-on-hop-off EV tuk-tuk, and a new EV taxi service.  

Let’s break down the components of these two companies. Out students in the Bachelor of Arts and Science in Integrated Innovation (BaScii) students know to start with the business model. Both Grab and MuvMi began as start-ups characterized by entrepreneurship, testing ideas, seeking funds from a variety of sources, and possible failure. Both companies spend a lot of time refining their product and service design and the user experience. 

Next, since we’re in an innovation school, let’s look at technology. There is, of course, the programming that goes into app development, both user-facing and backend. Then there’s the complicated system to manage routes, schedules, EV charging, payments, and user feedback. And plausibly, both apps utilize AI to optimize performance. Beyond the apps, the physical experience is also important. For Grab: food packaging, vehicle cleanliness, and driver attitudes. For MuvMi: vehicle design, driver behavior, and EV charging station availability. 

Both companies are part of a larger Smart Cities ecosystem, one of the BAScii specialization areas. “Smart” cities typically refer to cities whose critical services (transportation, health, water, education, government) are made more effective and efficient by technology. Grab and MuvMi can be considered part of the “smart mobility” and “smart food” sectors of a smart city. 

But wait, we’re not finished! If we dive further, we see other key components that make Grab and MuvMi successful: (see Figure below)

• Stakeholder engagement: Who affects and is affected by your business? How do you work with them?  

• Ethics and justice: Are the vehicles accessible to people in wheelchairs? Are working conditions for gig workers fair?  

• Environment: How can we reduce the impact of food packaging?  

• Government policy and regulation: Do we need special permits to operate EV tuk-tuks? 

• Human health: How can we ensure passenger safety?   

And this is where the social scientists come in. So what exactly is a ‘social scientist? Doesn’t “science” mean lab coats and experiments? Well, social scientists like myself seek to better understand human behavior, and social structures and institutions to improve quality of life. We do this by studying people in the real world and running controlled experiments. 

Why do we need social scientists? It might be better to ask, ‘What happens if we don’t have them?’ I’ll use my experience in transportation planning, which is arguably still dominated by civil engineers who focus on optimizing the flow of vehicle traffic. But what about people who do not drive cars? How do we ensure they get to their destination safely and efficiently? Social scientists can help identify who these people are, where they live, their income, their transportation needs, and more. Social scientists can then make suggestions to ensure an equitable, efficient transportation system for all users. 

At the same time, as a social scientist, I need the engineering expertise to design roads, pedestrian crossings, subways, traffic signals, etc. This means we need to work on multidisciplinary teams; this is where programmers and environmentalists become friends! 

The BAScii program reflects this idea of multidisciplinary training. Students get exposed to programming, AI, math, ethics, environmental issues, stakeholder engagement, and design. 

Back to my initial question: ‘Why do I work on innovation?’ Because I’m interested in technology’s potential to improve people’s lives, I’m also cautious about its ability to deepen inequalities. Working on multidisciplinary teams means I get to constantly learn new things, get exposed to new ideas, and share concerns. And if we do not work across disciplines, we will never be truly innovative. 

ALSO READ: Our Previous Blogpost: Social Entrepreneurship/ Social Enterprises in Thailand: First Impressions