Russia’s war on Ukraine is also impacting Ukraine’s universities. Students and teaching staff are spread around the world, and in many cases the local infrastructure has been damaged. One possibility for continued learning and teaching would be to also offer studies online, which is already taking place in several instances. But the infrastructure for an overarching system that connects the individual universities with one another is not in place. Digital University – Open Ukrainian Initiative (DigiUni), a new project financed by the European Union (EU), now aims to construct an effective digital educational ecosystem for the Ukraine. It is being coordinated by Taras Schewtschenko National University of Kyiv. Alongside ten Ukrainian universities, another eight universities in Europe are participating, including Leibniz University Hannover (LUH). At LUH, the project is under the leadership of the TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology and University Library’s director Prof. Dr. Sören Auer of the Institute of Data Science. It is based at the L3S Research Center. The TIB is an associate partner in the project. The EU will invest a total of approximately 5 million euros in the DigiUni project up until November 2027.
Just like an ecosystem in nature, an educational ecosystem functions via the exchange and interplay of those involved. The DigiUni project therefore focuses on knowledge exchange, knowledge transmission and the development of a suitable infrastructure for digital teaching at the participating Ukrainian universities. The goal is to guarantee ongoing, high-quality, inclusive and transparent education for students, regardless of their location. Simultaneously, the intention is to create a foundation for rebuilding the educational system in Ukraine, despite the war.
Specifically, the project will investigate experiences and best practices in the area of digital teaching and learning infrastructures. It also aims to establish decentralised digital centres, so-called DigiCentres, in the Ukraine. The actors involved also want to initiate a national digital platform, the so-called DigiPlatform. They plan to develop special courses for trainers and content producers for this purpose. Quality standards for digital content will be established, and virtual labs will also be made accessible on the platform.
Together with the TIB, LUH will host a study period abroad for approximately 40 partners from Ukraine titled “Digital Learning Environments and Open Education at LUH and TIB” from 21 to 25 July 2024.
Note to editors:
For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Sören Auer, Institute of Data Science at Leibniz University Hannover (tel. +49 511 762 2531, email auer@tib.eu).
