Future of work: Göttingen research network sets new trends!

Future of work: Göttingen research network sets new trends!

The University of Göttingen has launched a new international research network that deals with the future of work in the digital age. In cooperation with the University of Osnabrück, 15 young scientists from various German and international universities will conduct research over the next two years. This network is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with around 35,000 euros and aims to investigate the changing dynamics of global virtual collaboration.

The topic is particularly relevant given the increasing use of virtual forms of collaboration. Classic forms of mobility such as foreign assignments and business trips are increasingly being replaced by digital formats. Digital transformation and the Covid-19 pandemic have accelerated this change. However, this research is often conducted in isolation within individual disciplines, resulting in important perspectives and insights being lost.

Goal of the network

The network follows an interdisciplinary and integrative management approach. It aims to close research gaps by combining international management, business information systems and human resources management. As part of their work, members ask three central questions: What are the “global” aspects of global virtual work? How are digital tools changing global work? And what does work mean in an increasingly digitalized and globalized world? The members of the network should benefit from guest lectures, working groups and joint publications.

Internationally, collaboration in research and innovation is supported by the EU, which aims to strengthen international partnerships with its “Global Concept for Research and Innovation” introduced in 2021. The aim is to develop innovative solutions for green and digital change as well as in the health sector. The first biennial report on the implementation of this strategy shows that progress has been made, in particular through new provisions on the association of non-EU countries under the Horizon Europe programme. These developments are critical to advancing multilateral cooperation and developing science-based solutions to global challenges, such as improving health security and crisis response.

Germany's role and strategies

In the national context, the Federal Government emphasizes the importance of the internationalization strategy, which aims to make education, science and research cross-border. Germany, as Europe's largest research nation, plays a central role in European cooperation, especially with regard to important issues such as climate change and pandemics. The European Green Deal, presented in December 2019, aims to make the EU economy climate-neutral by 2050 and combines economic policy with environmental and climate protection.

Current political discussions also emphasize the need to actively shape bilateral and multilateral cooperation. In view of global challenges and geopolitical shifts in power, international exchange in research and education is seen as crucial for securing the future of the European and German research and innovation systems.

These comprehensive efforts to promote international cooperation in research and innovation show that both national and international actors are pulling together to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

For further information about the international research network at the University of Göttingen, the University of Göttingen launched, as well as about the EU strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation, you can EU strategy report and the Federal report on international cooperation see.