Two digitalisation projects kick off
The Executive Board created the Digital Transformation Steering Committee to manage the university’s digitalisation strategy for administrative processes. The committee has begun its work and launched its first two digitalisation projects.
Last year the rETHink project devised and approved a digitalisation strategy for administrative processes with the aim of using digital technologies to manage the university’s growth. One important element of this strategy is the introduction of Digital Transformation Steering Committee (DTC). The job of the DTC is to advise and support the Executive Board on matters related to digital administration and implementing and developing the digitalisation strategy.
To ensure that the needs of the entire institution are reflected, representatives from both the central units and academic departments are part of the DTC. “Our internal processes and digitalisation plans aren’t limited to any one part of the organisation. The Digital Transformation Committee now provides us with an instrument for getting a much-needed full overview, which helps ensure the success of future digitalisation projects,” says Robert Perich, Vice President for Finance and Controlling and DTC Chairman. The DTC is also responsible for strategically promoting digitalisation by providing initial funding for innovative cross-unit projects.
Making records management fit for the future
The DTC is now up and running; at its first meeting, the committee launched two projects. The first project, which was presented by Secretary General Katharina Poiger and staff from the ETH Library, concerns records management, or the systematic management of business documents. The project team will evaluate and implement a records management system on behalf of the General Secretariat. The project is scheduled to run for two years and also involves the implementation of new, up-to-date uniform practices and processes for business management and document storage. Another goal of the project is to create a shared understanding of records management at ETH.
Stephanie Willi (ETH Zurich University Archives) and Botond Tabani (Controlling) are leading the cross-unit project, and staff from the General Secretariat and the Legal Department are part of the project team. They will be supported by a sounding board with representatives from the central units and academic departments. For further information about this project, please get in touch with the project leaders.
Who is researching what and with whom?
Who conducts research at ETH in what area? Who is working together? Who do I need to talk to if I have a specific question? Keeping an overview of this kind at ETH is a great challenge, but it’s something that would also be a great boon to interdisciplinary cooperation at the university. The second project, presented by Head of the Office of the President Jürg Brunnschweiler, hopes to remedy the situation.
The ETH Graph project aims to introduce a graph-based database that uses select pre-existing data sources to give users a quick and easy overview of research cooperations, research topics and individual researchers at ETH Zurich. The project team will be working together with the EPFL Campus Analytics initiative. ETH Graph is supported by the Office of the President and financed by the DTC. The Digital Transformation Office (see info box) and Scientific IT Services are both in the lead for this project, and they will be supported by staff from various central units. Please contact from Institutional Research if you have any questions.
Digital Transformation Committee (DTC)
Committee members:
- Dr. Robert Perich (VPFC, DTC Chairman)
- Prof. Dr. Ulrich Weidmann (VPIN, DTC Vice Chairman)
- Dr. Julia Dannath (VPPL)
- Dr. Jürg Brunnschweiler (Representative of the President)
- Dr. Cornelia Schauz-Biehlmaier (Representative of VPF)
- Dr. Hermann Lehner (Representative of the Rector)
- Jens Poulsen (Representative of VPWW)
- Dr. Rui Brandao (Representative of IT Services)
- Dr. Rafael Ball (Representative of the Library)
- Prof. Dr. Peter Müller (Representative of D-INFK)
- Prof. Dr. Sebastian Huber (Representative of D-PHYS)
The DTC will also receive support from the newly created Digital Transformation Office (DTO), which is responsible for operational business, monitoring the project portfolio and managing the initiation, planning and implementation of digital projects. The DTO is jointly led by Paul Cross (VPFC) and Peter Jäggi (IT Services).
Additional information about the Digital Transformation Office, including protocols from DTC meetings, can be found here.
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