University Makes First Open-Source AI Tools Available to Higher Education Administrations
The two chatbots were developed in-house by staff members from the university’s administrative department. They combine in-depth subject matter expertise with the power of artificial intelligence to streamline complex administrative processes—for both the academic community and the administration. The export control chatbot assists researchers and administrative staff with questions regarding research security and export control. Whether it’s inviting a visiting scholar from Iran, transferring software to a partner in the U.S., or shipping sensors to Japan—the tool provides clear initial guidance, structures case preparation, and significantly reduces the time spent on research. According to the subject matter expert, the tool saves up to four hours of work time per inquiry.
The degree program development bot supports the development and revision of degree programs. The tool analyzes study and examination regulations, module handbooks, and course outlines for formal requirements, contradictions, and regulatory gaps. Within just 90 seconds, it generates a structured evaluation with suggestions for improvement and a learning objectives matrix—a process that previously required several hours of work per document.
Both tools are published as open-source resources on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. The University of Kassel provides the program code, system prompts, and document library—including notes on where organization-specific adjustments are necessary.
Other universities, research institutions, and public administrations can use, adapt, and further develop the tools. The foundation is already in place: laws, international regulations, and subject-matter expertise are integrated. Organizations can incorporate their own documents, contacts, and internal processes, for example through automated “crawling” of websites.
“In line with the motto ‘Simplify with AI,’ we as the university administration are leading the way with AI applications we’ve developed ourselves: We’re improving services for researchers, reducing administrative burdens, and sharing our solutions with other universities. Other universities are already waiting for our export control bot,” says Chancellor Dr. Oliver Fromm.
