Digitalisation transforms the range of services and the core processes of universities in the fields of research, teaching and administration, but it also has a direct impact on the role they play in the context of social change. Successful and comprehensive digitalisation processes at universities are therefore key to safeguarding the competitiveness of Austria as a prime location for research and science. TU Graz was the first university in Austria to have adopted a digitalisation policy at the beginning of 2018. With its pilot project “Digital TU Graz” it is now creating a role model and suitable implementation processes that can then be applied by other Austrian universities.
An analogue house for Digital TU Graz
Since the beginning of this year, TU Graz has been launching concrete projects for the implementation of its digitalisation policy. The new House of Digitalisation on Brockmanngasse 84 is a tangible point of reference for the digitalisation offensive. Harald Kainz, Rector of TU Graz, and Claudia von der Linden, Vice Rector for Communication and Change Management, are both convinced that “Digital TU Graz” will become a success story and further strengthen Styria as a hotspot for innovation. “Our students stand to benefit from state-of-the-art digital teaching and learning methods, and at the same time administrative processes will become more efficient and service-oriented. In the field of research, digital transformation strengthens our efforts to provide an innovative and future-oriented working environment while also putting next-generation research data management at the disposal of our researchers. Finally, TU Graz will be able to better fulfil its social responsibility by implanting innovative responses to some of the most urgent global digital issues of our time in society.”
360 degrees digital
The House of Digitalisation will be the central hub for the multifarious developments and initiatives of TU Graz on the way to becoming a digital university in four areas of opportunity, namely teaching, research, administration and the third mission, i.e. the responsibility of the university towards society. Here, employees from various departments will be able to enjoy an interdisciplinary space of cooperation and an environment for the realisation of various transformation processes in which all stakeholders – from students to university staff – are involved.
More details on the projects in the four areas opportunity can be found on the TU Graz website.