What’s in the Digital Technologies Unit Development Project?
A new unit will be formed by merging the Institute of Informatics, the Institute of Information Studies, and the Department of Mathematics of the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The name nor the academic directions of the common institute have not yet been confirmed by the Senate, but our project has lined out five separate academic directions: 1) digital learning ecosystems; 2) information studies; 3) human-computer interaction; 4) mathematics and mathematic didactics; 5) applied informatics.
The mission of the institute will be to develop and apply novel solutions and services to support a human-centred information society within education as well as the society in general. We are ready to lead the development of digital competences, digital didactics, digital learning software, digital libraries and the research on the influences of human-computer interaction.
The institute will also carry a separate mission within the University – helping along the development of all other focus fields by implementing modern IT solutions, applying analytical methods and promoting digital competences.
The vision of our institute is to become an internationally acclaimed competence centre on the technologies of the information society, to coordinate large-scale international science and development projects and to host annual international science conferences.
By 2020, we wish to be an institute with a common identity, to merge our degree study programmes into a singular whole, to create conditions wherein every employee can reach their maximum potential and reach a level in studies where at least 50% of students would graduate no longer than one year past the nominal study time.
The development plan of the institute has set general goals for the development of our academic directions, as well as goals for research, development, studies, societal relationships and personnel development.
I would like to go into detail on only the most important aspect in development – personnel development. The goal is to create a working environment, which would act as a magnet for the top researchers in the world, as well as support the professional development of our staff and students. By working environment we do not only mean a physical, but more importantly, a mental environment, which values open discussion, mutually supportive collaboration, novel ideas and solutions as well as commitment to promoting the field. To reach all this, material resources must complement good will. This is why starting and implementing large international collaborative projects will be one of the main activities of the institute.
Where do we see the biggest potential for development? Currently, we are emphasising the synergy and rise in effectiveness that comes from the cooperation of people from different institutes. Cooperation will also be the main direction in our relations with colleagues from other institutes of our university, as well as those from outside, in a local as well as an international level.
Peeter Normak
Head of the Digital Technologies Focus Field