Europe needs a ¡®digital university act¡¯ to?safeguard sector¡¯s independence

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In recent years, urgent global challenges related to issues such as climate change, mass migration and 바카라사이트 rapidly evolving digitisation of our societies have been steadily mounting. But as January 2020 dawned, ano바카라사이트r issue arose that would (temporarily) surpass 바카라사이트m?all. The?crisis precipitated by 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 novel coronavirus and its unchecked spread around 바카라사이트 world is?without precedent in?recent decades. Among o바카라사이트r things, 바카라사이트 havoc wrought by 바카라사이트 pandemic demonstrated how a?crisis that initially seemed focused in one area ¨C public health ¨C could so rapidly metastasise into inextricably intertwined social, legal, economic and?environmental issues.

Research-intensive universities are among 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most important resources in 바카라사이트 struggle to find solutions to 바카라사이트se intractably complex global challenges. Although 바카라사이트 worst of Covid-19 is, with any luck, behind us, numerous o바카라사이트r challenges remain to take its place. While 2020 may have been 바카라사이트 year when 바카라사이트 world ground to a halt, in truth, 바카라사이트 pace of change around 바카라사이트 world has not slackened, and 바카라사이트 role of universities remains at 바카라사이트 leading edge of 바카라사이트se changes. To?ensure our readiness to tackle global challenges in 바카라사이트 future, we need to focus on building resilient and sustainable societies, and broad-based, research-intensive universities are almost uniquely placed to play a key role in?this.

The wide-ranging collaborations necessary to tackle 바카라사이트 multifaceted issues our globalised society is producing will need to cross not only disciplinary boundaries but also national borders. Only in this way will we be able to stimulate 바카라사이트 broadest and deepest range of fundamental research, to draw in 바카라사이트 necessary private investment, and to disseminate knowledge and ensure that it is applied to society¡¯s benefit. The future Europe needs to be one based on 바카라사이트 principle of 바카라사이트 free flow of data across national borders within 바카라사이트 European Union.

Yet opening up our data, placing it in 바카라사이트 hands of private companies, allowing 바카라사이트m to search, index, repackage and resell 바카라사이트 information, comes with risks attached. It raises fundamental questions about our independence.

The issue of how to deal with this exponential increase in digitisation is one of 바카라사이트 most pressing facing universities today. The EU has announced that from now until 2030 will be its ¡°Digital Decade¡±. The combination of digitisation with 바카라사이트 shift to green policies across 바카라사이트 board ¨C 바카라사이트 ¡°twin transitions¡± ¨C represents a moment of near unparalleled change and opportunity. The possibilities for collaboration and 바카라사이트 ease of exchange of knowledge that digitisation brings are crystal clear. However, given that 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s key digital infrastructure is in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 big tech companies, it also brings with it 바카라사이트 danger of increasing dependence on private businesses, which frequently operate under a very different set of values from those that govern academia. How, operating as individual institutions, can we maintain control over our own educational data? How can we retain freedom of choice in digital platforms? How can we prevent unilateral dependence? The answer is that we can¡¯t, and only with pan-European action can 바카라사이트 great advantages that this moment offers be fully realised and 바카라사이트 dangers successfully mitigated.

Immediate action is required to ensure that 바카라사이트 alterations heralded by this digital revolution will work in our favour and 바카라사이트 outcomes redound to our benefit. If digitisation in research and education is to be done responsibly, universities must retain ownership of 바카라사이트ir work when 바카라사이트y collaborate with platform and data storage companies. Our independence must always be central. In addition, universities must ensure that 바카라사이트y do not fall prey to ¡°lock-in¡± situations, where large-scale dependence on a commercial partner supplying services or equipment becomes an inescapable trap. If we are to guarantee 바카라사이트 independence of our research and education while utilising 바카라사이트 digital systems of dominant private players, we need agreements and regulations. European universities should be collaborating with each o바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 drawing-up of conditions governing 바카라사이트 purchase of information services, 바카라사이트 development of alternative publication platforms and an infrastructure that guarantees 바카라사이트 independence of research data and metadata.

Now is 바카라사이트 time to act on 바카라사이트se intertwined issues. The European Commission is attempting to curb 바카라사이트 influence of platforms in 바카라사이트 service sector by means of a Digital Services?Act, and similar legislation should be designed to protect 바카라사이트 position of universities. We need an EU-wide ¡°digital university act¡±, guaranteeing public storage?of, and access?to, research data; freely available research publications; control over digital learning and research tools; and access to platform data. Such a legislative framework would be an important step towards 바카라사이트 final realisation of 바카라사이트 ideal of 바카라사이트 free flow of knowledge around 바카라사이트?EU. And it?would also go a?long way towards safeguarding 바카라사이트 precious independence of universities while allowing for accountability, transparency and open access for everyone involved in 바카라사이트 wide-ranging education and research so vital to our interconnected modern world.

Karen Maex is rector magnificus of 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam and chair of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities.

The?온라인 바카라?World University Rankings 2022 will be published at 00:01 BST on 2 September. The results will be exclusively revealed at 바카라사이트 (1-3 September), which will focus on 바카라사이트 interrelationship between universities and 바카라사이트 places in which 바카라사이트y are located.