Universities’ control over their own digital systems has declined sharply in recent years, as large technology companies determine the digital infrastructure. In this online lecture, professor Albert Meijer will argue for strengthening the collective digital autonomy of Dutch universities. In addition, Tim van Neerbos, lead enterprise architect, will show how Utrecht University is translating this ambition into concrete action.

The need collective digital autonomy – Albert Meijer

Digital infrastructures have penetrated to the very heart of academia, not only in university education and research but also in all supporting and communicative processes. In recent years, Dutch universities have become increasingly dependent on a small group of American technology companies with their own closed systems and proprietary terms; most Dutch universities rely on Microsoft as their primary provider of digital services, while a few institutions depend heavily on Google.

Increasingly, we see these digital systems coming into tension with academic (core) values that form the foundation of Dutch higher education and research – such as academic freedom, knowledge security, and (data) integrity – as well as with more general public values such as the right to privacy, security, and transparency. In his presentation, professor Albert Meijer from the Utrecht University School of Governance will discuss the need for a collective digital autonomy of Dutch universities and what it takes to realize this.

Read the IOS Think Paper Naar collectieve digitale autonomie van Nederlandse universiteiten of Albert Meijer en José van Dijck.

Meaningful steps towards a digitally autonomous future – Tim van Neerbos

Talking about digital autonomy is one thing, but actually achieving it is another. While the strategic case for reducing dependency on Big Tech is clear, universities face a practical challenge: how do you translate this ambition into actionable steps and day-to-day operations?

At Utrecht University, we are developing a digital autonomy assessment framework to move beyond gut feeling. This framework evaluates capabilities, applications and services on criteria such as hosting location, vendor jurisdiction, availability of alternatives, exit strategy, data export capabilities, and application portability. This helps us determine both current and desired levels of digital autonomy. Combined with a capability analysis, this allows us to identify where we face the greatest risks and prioritize accordingly. Because you cannot, and should not, change everything at once.

In his presentation, Tim van Neerbos will share how we bridge the gap between strategic ambition and practical execution, and how a roadmap approach enables the university to take meaningful steps towards a more digitally autonomous future.

Speakers

Albert Meijer is professor of Public Management at Utrecht University. His research focuses on digitalisation and innovation in the public sector.

José van Dijck is professor of Media and Digital Society at Utrecht University. Her research focuses on the impact of media technologies and technology companies on digital culture.

Tim van Neerbos is Lead Enterprise Architect at Utrecht University and one of the drivers of the university-wide digital autonomy initiative.