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Viadrina relies on digitalization: new vice president in office!
Prof. Dr. Charlotte Köhler will be the new Vice President for Digitalization at the European University Viadrina. Goal: Optimization of digital strategies.
Viadrina relies on digitalization: new vice president in office!
On July 18, 2025, Prof. Dr. Charlotte Köhler elected as the new Vice President for Digitalization at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). They were elected by the University Senate on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. Edward Mill. This appointment is intended to respond to the challenges of digital transformation and further develop the university's digitalization strategy. Digitalization has far-reaching implications for the areas of teaching, research and administration at Viadrina.
Charlotte Köhler's main tasks include analyzing the university's current digital positioning and identifying areas for improvement in the technical infrastructure, digital skills and digital exchange. She will also be responsible for the strategic management of IT security issues and will be involved in the further development of the Center for Digital Transformation (ZDT) at the Brandenburg universities.
Experience and research focus
Charlotte Köhler has been a junior professor of business administration, with a focus on business analytics, at Viadrina since 2022. Her research interests lie in the analysis and preparation of data as well as the investigation of optimization options in the areas of medicine and logistics. She received her doctorate in 2020 at the Free University of Berlin, where she worked on route planning for delivery services. She previously worked at the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg and at the University of Iowa. She is also a member of the Steering Committee of GLOHRA (German Alliance for Global Health Research).
A key element of Köhler's work will be supporting the use of artificial intelligence in teaching, a topic that is increasingly becoming the focus of educational institutions. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has already launched initiatives that promote the use of AI in higher education since the end of 2021. The aim of these measures is to develop study programs and implement intelligent assistance systems as well as AI-based learning and examination systems.
Context of digitalization in higher education
In this context, the social embedding of artificial intelligence is also discussed. Against this background, a conference took place at Viadrina that examined the nature of language and artificial intelligence from an anthropological, sociological and linguistic perspective. The conference, held on March 30 and 31, 2023, gathered key contributions from experts including Prof. Emily M. Bender from the University of Washington and Dr. Nicolas Flores-Herr from the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS. These discussions aim to raise awareness of the people behind the AI systems and their social embeddedness.
During the ratification of AI applications in higher education, the AI Campus, supported by the BMBF, represents an important platform. Here students can find online courses, videos and podcasts about AI. In addition, a variety of educational strategies are being pursued that also address the responsible use of generative AI.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the digital transformation at the European University Viadrina will become more important under the leadership of Charlotte Köhler. Their approaches and strategies could make a significant contribution to the modernization and further development of the university and its digital priorities.