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Press release
BLHP calls for stronger cooperation in digitalisation
The Brandenburg State Conference of University Presidents (BLHP) has submitted a position paper to the Brandenburg Ministry of Science, Research and Culture (MWFK) that highlights the strategic cornerstones for strengthening cooperation in the field of digitalisation.
By 2029, the presidents will identify priorities, tasks and content for the further development and consolidation of already successful cooperation structures in five development areas:
- Joint IT services
- Central competence centres
- Cross-university personnel pool
- Local digitalisation coordinators
- Governance
Depending on the resources available, various implementation and funding options are described for these development areas. Addressing the politically responsible decision-makers, the BLHP recommends
- Recognising and prioritising the additional resources required for a successful digital transformation,
- explicitly consider strengthening the collaborative approach in strategic university development planning,
- recognise that the reorganisation of the ZDT is necessary and sustainable and provide the best possible financial support, and
- to enter into a dialogue with the universities on the concrete design.
The BLHP position is largely in line with the recently published report on the evaluation of Brandenburg's higher education system by the German Science and Humanities Council. The background to the presidents' position is the external evaluation of the cooperation network "Centre of Brandenburg Universities for Digital Transformation (ZDT)". Since 2020, the universities have been jointly implementing digitalisation projects in the ZDT, which are funded by the MWFK. Universities and the Ministry are thus jointly exploiting the opportunities of digitalisation and enabling a modern portfolio of IT services for all universities. An office supports them in this. The evaluation of the cooperation network has revealed specific strategic development areas in which the universities want to further develop their cooperation together, particularly with regard to joint services and joint personnel.
The position paper was developed by a working group made up of representatives from all stakeholder groups of the ZDT. It was adopted by the BLHP and submitted to the ministry in January 2024.
The evaluation of the ZDT and the resulting strategic positioning of the universities vis-à-vis science policy lay the foundation for the successful further development and strengthening of the ZDT with regard to its mission of driving forward the digital transformation in favour of a strong and sustainable science location in Brandenburg.
