Future of research: CDU visit to the University of Paderborn!

Future of research: CDU visit to the University of Paderborn!

On September 22nd, a delegation from the CDU parliamentary group in North Rhine-Westphalia visited the University of Paderborn. The visit was part of the political commitment to promote exchange between science and research. Among those present were Raphael Tigges, spokesman for the Science Committee, as well as Tom Brüntrup and Bernhard Hoppe-Biermeyer.

During the meeting, there was a lively exchange between the representatives of the CDU and the university's executive board members. These included Prof. Dr. Matthias Bauer (President), Simone Probst (Vice President for Economic and Human Resources Administration), Prof. Dr. Beate Flath (Vice President for Teaching, Studies and Quality Management), Prof. Dr. René Fahr (Vice President for Transfer and Sustainability) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Tröster (Vice President for Research and Academic Career Paths). The dialogue served to present innovative projects in various research areas.

Research priorities

The focus of the discussion was on outstanding research areas such as quantum research, artificial intelligence (AI), transfer processes, mobility and high performance computing (HPC). According to Tigges, Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) is viewed as a model region for university cooperation. This is particularly due to the OWL campus, which brings together five state universities in the region.

The goal of this collaboration is to accelerate regional growth. Tigges also emphasized the importance of the leading-edge cluster “it’s OWL – Intelligent Technical Systems OstWestfalenLippe”. More than 220 companies, research institutes and organizations are committed to the development of intelligent products and processes. The University of Paderborn is an essential part of this innovation network.

The role of artificial intelligence in higher education

A crucial aspect of current university development is the use of artificial intelligence in education. A comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and limitations of AI-supported learning and teaching was recently published. In their work “Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education”, the authors Tobias Schmohl, Alice Watanabe and Kathrin Schelling examine the possibilities of this technology, particularly in relation to the courses and modules in this area; The book was published by transcript Verlag in 2023.

One attractive thing about AI is that it supports universities in developing new study concepts. In order to anchor these technologies broadly in the university system, the “Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education” funding initiative was launched. This is funded by the federal and state governments. The measure provides for financing of up to 133 million euros, with the federal and state ratio being 90:10.

The funding already covers 52 universities that receive financial support through individual or joint applications. Individual applications can receive up to two million euros, and joint applications can receive up to five million euros. An independent evaluation of the funding initiative is planned for 2024.

The legal basis for this initiative is the federal-state agreement of December 10, 2020, which was adopted by the Joint Science Conference (GWK). The decision on the applications was made in June 2021 as part of a science-led selection process.

Overall, the CDU parliamentary group's visit to the University of Paderborn shows how important the dialogue between science and politics is for the future development of higher education and the regional economy. A consensus was reached to continue an open exchange and mutual discussion. This collaboration is also urgently needed in the implementation of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

For more information about the university's research projects, read uni-paderborn.de. The publication on the topic of artificial intelligence in higher education can be found here degruyterbrill.com and to further initiatives gwk-bonn.de.