DFKI is a key partner in the new funding initiative “Strengthening AI Skills at Universities,” which is coordinated by the Stifterverband. Running from January 2026 to March 2029 with a total budget of around €6.9 million, the Educational Technology Lab in Berlin is working with eight universities to systematically embed AI skills in the German higher education system. The background to this is the EU AI Act, which from 2024 will require operators of AI systems – including universities – to ensure that their staff have sufficient AI skills.
Specifically, the Educational Technology Lab is developing learning opportunities and open educational resources (OER) on AI basics for various target groups: students, teachers, and university staff. One focus is on the topic of participation and co-determination, which is leading to the creation of a course on “AI for co-determination at universities.” DFKI is also a technology partner for AI infrastructures and is involved in accompanying research. As part of this, a technology monitoring system is being set up to observe how AI technologies are developing in the field of education and to evaluate which approaches are particularly forward-looking for the AI Campus. Identified technologies are continuously integrated so that the AI Campus not only imparts knowledge about AI, but also remains at the cutting edge of technology itself.
The AI Campus is the central learning platform for AI in German-speaking countries, with over 100,000 registered users and more than 40,000 certificates awarded. DFKI was a founding partner of the AI Campus in 2019 and has since developed courses with various locations. The new funding will now enable this expertise and nationwide network to be further developed specifically for the requirements of the AI Act and to support universities throughout Germany in strengthening AI skills. By combining cutting-edge research, regional anchoring, and a nationwide transfer strategy, DFKI is making an important contribution to AI skills development in the German higher education system.
Partners
Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. Geschäftsstelle des KI-Campus beim Stifterverband RWTH Aachen HU Berlin DFKI DHBW HHU Düsseldorf FernUniversität in Hagen TU München Universität Tübingen
Prof. Dr. Christian Kellermann
