Two-day conclusion of the peer-to-peer strategy consultation of the University Forum on Digitization at BTU

In June 2023, BTU was one of six universities nationwide to qualify for participation in the 7th round of peer-to-peer strategy consulting by the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (HFD). The HFD supports universities in shaping the digital transformation. Peer-to-peer strategy consulting is a development tool for universities that want to actively shape digital change in higher education and, in particular, strengthen innovative, digitally supported teaching and learning scenarios in their strategic development.

In several university-wide workshops, students, teaching staff and employees of the central institutions as well as members of various administrative departments at BTU have since held intensive discussions on the challenges and goals of the strategic development of teaching and studies in the context of digitalization. In intensive and controversial discussions, common positions on making studies more flexible and anchoring future-oriented skills more firmly in the curricula of the study programmes were developed. Particular attention was paid to the differentiation of micro- and macrodidactic elements and formats. The exchange with other universities in Germany provided additional impetus for the implementation of individual innovative concepts in university teaching.

In line with the focal points of strategic development developed in the university-wide workshops and presented in the self-evaluation report, the HFD recruited experts as peers and involved them in the further consultation process. BTU is accompanied by Prof. Dr. Niels Pinkwart, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Wibke Matthes, Head of Key Competencies at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Dr. Merle Emre, Managing Director of Dresden International University and Alina Dieminger, student at SRH University Heidelberg.

During the two-day on-site visit by the university forum and the peers on 17 and 18 April, strategies, goals and measures were developed, concretized and reflected upon together with the peers in topic-specific workshops. Students, teaching staff and employees of the central facilities as well as representatives of the faculties and members of various administrative departments were once again involved in the workshops. The exchange thus provides an opportunity for the various stakeholder groups at BTU to present and discuss their individual goals and perspectives.

Following the consultation days, the peers' recommendation report records the results and recommendations in a structured manner. Based on the report, the BTU will develop an action plan outlining the next steps in its strategy and implementation process. In addition, the overarching exchange between the participating universities will be continued. BTU is still in close contact with its "tandem" partner in the consultation process, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.

"This is not about digitalization for the sake of digitalization," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Peer Schmidt, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at the university. "We have the students and their successful acquisition of knowledge and skills in mind. The application process and the internal workshops have once again given us new impetus to drive forward the flexibilization of studies and the stronger anchoring of future-oriented skills in the curricula of the study programmes. An important experience here is that a participatory process with all stakeholders at BTU can achieve a high level of university-wide commitment."

About the Digitalization University Forum

The Digitalization University Forum (HFD)which supports universities in shaping the digital transformation, is a joint initiative of the Stifterverband, the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development and the University Vice Chancellors' Conference (HRK) and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Since 2017, there have been 189 expressions of interest in peer-to-peer strategy consulting. Of these, 36 universities and a consortium of ten universities have been advised to date. In addition to Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, the following universities were selected for the 7th round (2023/24) of peer-to-peer strategy consulting: Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg, Evangelische Hochschule Nürnberg, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg and Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.