Support for the digital transformation

The pact provides 112 million euros for the digital transformation of Hesse's state universities. The amount of funding for the University of Kassel has not yet been finalized. The university will use it, for example, to adapt the processing of research data to the current requirements of science and to supplement traditional classroom teaching with digital teaching and learning opportunities.

"The Hessian state government's program comes at the right time," said President Prof. Reiner Finkeldey, praising the agreement. "We had an ambitious roadmap for comprehensive digitization at our university even before the Corona crisis. The current special situation once again demonstrates to everyone the importance of a powerful digital environment. We will also use this time, during which we are converting many familiar processes in research and teaching to digital formats, to gain insights into how we can further exploit the opportunities of the digital transformation in a sustainable manner."

Finkeldey added, "Now we benefit from the fact that many years ago we established a highly regarded research focus at our scientific center for information technology design, ITeG, which deals with the responsible use of digitization from an interdisciplinary perspective. Digitization will not replace the presence university, because science thrives on exchange. But it will noticeably change research and teaching."

Like other universities, the University of Kassel has started the current lecture period digitally. To create the framework conditions, it had, among other things, purchased several thousand licenses for video content management systems.

Additional funds are also available for the digitization of university administration, for example for the introduction of a document management system and fully digitized accounting. "We started digitizing administrative processes some time ago," said Chancellor Dr. Oliver Fromm. "In doing so, we are not simply mapping previous processes one-to-one digitally, but rather improving the necessary processes. Ultimately, digitization serves to provide better service to research and teaching."

HMWK press release on the Digital Pact: https://wissenschaft.hessen.de/presse/pressemitteilung/land-staerkt-hessens-hochschulen-im-digitalpakt-mit-112-millionen-euro-fuer-die-zukunft

Press contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Press Office
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de