Digital Transformation in Campus Management: Administration & Learning in the Future

Higher education institutions assume responsibility for the next generation of academics – and thus also for the people in whose hands the future of our society lies. However, not only social, but also ecological responsibility – especially shaped by digitalisation – influences everyday life at universities and university education. A look at the administration shows how higher education institutions can become more sustainable and efficient with the help of digitalisation. The use of digital technologies can actually promote sustainability in this area. This can be seen, among other things, in the example of digital signatures. We show which savings and efficiency improvements have been identified since the use of digital signatures at one university.

In addition to the sustainability aspect, Campus Management should be available at all times, always meet the highest security requirements and run in the best technical environment. The requirements for the software as well as for those systems on which the software runs are challenging. Simovative has been working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) as an Education Partner for about five years and was one of the first education providers to complete the Foundational Technical Review this year. This Learning Café will show what the collaboration looks like in concrete terms, how the cloud is structured, and how secure this works in contrast to self-hosted systems.

Our contribution includes not only important advances in administration, but also in learning, as courses of study change, so does the way we learn. It is important for higher education institutions to take account of the changes in society and to adapt education to the essential developments – such as digitalisation, the changing expectations of students and new learning formats. Here, higher education institutions should be seen as a link that has the unique opportunity to effectively connect students with companies and thus guarantee not only a good education and promising career opportunities, but also the best possible next generation of academics for the future. The lecture will present how higher education institutions can approach this changing educational landscape as simply as possible and in the long term: with the service platform UniHeads.

Outcomes

• We want as many people as possible to benefit from our efforts to achieve sustainable digital transformation in education: Our contribution is intended to show participants how digitalisation can make internal university processes more sustainable. We want to discuss with the participants what potential still exists beyond this. At the same time, our presentation should help to bring about a rethink in university administrations, because by using digital technologies such as digital signatures, higher education institutions can not only save costs and time, but also contribute to greater sustainability with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

• In addition, we clarify the following questions: How can Campus Management best be operated in the right cloud-based infrastructure and is this DSGVO-compliant? Why is cloud-based Campus Management much more secure than on-premises? What other advantages does cloud-based Campus Management offer?

• Finally, we show students and higher education institutions which services are of particular interest to them and how these can be mapped with new technologies (including events, custom-fit job offers and innovative learning methods). We make recommendations on how to simplify and intensify cooperation with partner companies, for example for dual study programs or practical projects, etc., and how to make the work of career centers and other institutions visible and measurable.

Johannes Schulz

Head of Research, Education & NPO in Germany, Amazon Web Services

Torsten Fürbringer

CEO, SIMOVATIVE, Germany

With more than 20 years of experience in the field of EdTech, Torsten Fürbringer, Founder and Managing Director of the Simovative GmbH, is an expert regarding the administrative digitalisation of educational institutions. He also has an incredible expertise in new technologies used in the higher education. With Simovative’s Campus Management System, academyFIVE, he is in a constant communication with European universities and is expanding his partner network worldwide to create a better learning environment for students.

Jörn Wünnemann

CEO, SIMOVATIVE, Germany

With more than 20 years of experience in the field of EdTech, Jörn Wünnemann, Founder and Managing Director of the Simovative GmbH, is an expert regarding the administrative digitalisation of educational institutions. He also has an incredible expertise in new technologies used in the higher education. With Simovative’s Campus Management System, academyFIVE, he is in a constant communication with European universities and is expanding his partner network worldwide to create a better learning environment for students.