Digital transformation at universities in Bavaria: THI is successful with funding guideline

The Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) is funding 13 digitalisation colleges at universities throughout Bavaria to further qualify students for the digital transformation. The Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) will receive almost 550,000 euros as part of the funding line to establish a digitalisation college "eTHIcs".

Digital technologies have an impact on the everyday life of every individual. For this reason, an understanding of the technical foundations as well as the impact of digital technologies is becoming increasingly important for all scientific subjects. "The aim of the "eTHIcs" project is to create a cross-curricular course on technology acceptance, technology consequences and ethics with a strong reference to AI," explains project leader Prof. Dr. Matthias Uhl (Research Chair Social Implications and Ethical Aspects of AI). To this end, new measures are being integrated into the course of studies as a cross-sectional offer and the university's range of courses is being expanded through the Digitisation College.

At the centre of the measures of the Digitisation College is the establishment of the "eTHIcs" certificate, which can be acquired over several semesters. Students first learn the basics of AI and ethics in a lecture series and an "eTHIcs conference". A practical project ("Summer School eTHIcs") then promotes the application and consolidation of the acquired skills in interdisciplinary teams. Co-project leader Prof. Dr. Marc Aubreville (Research Chair Image Understanding and Medical Application of Artificial Intelligence) is pleased: "The project enables us to sensitise the students to this very relevant topic area and to think together with them about AI-based solutions for society as a whole."

The project will start on 1 September 2022 and run until the end of August 2026.