Successful Exchange on Digital Transformation
9th E-Government University Day and Graduation Ceremony at Rhine-Waal University
On November 7, 2024, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences hosted the 9th E-Government University Day, followed by the graduation ceremony for the E-Government degree programme. The event, centred around the theme "Transformation through AI: How intelligent should public administration be?" and brought together over 220 participants from academia, public administration, and business. A highlight of the event was the participation of Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home Affairs, Local Government, Construction, and Digitalization of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, who emphasized the crucial role of qualified young professionals for the digital transformation in public administration in her opening speech.
Professor Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen, President of the University, Ingo Brohl, District Administrator of Wesel, and Professor Dr Christoph Landscheidt, Mayor of Kamp-Lintfort, all extended a warm welcome to the attendees. They emphasized the significance of Artificial Intelligence and the need for highly skilled professionals to build a future-ready public administration. The event organizers – Professor Dr Timo Kahl, Professor Dr Frank Zimmer, Professor Dr Tobias Siebenlist, and Professor Dr Klaus Hegemann, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Environment – also stressed the importance of the E-Government University Day as a vital link between academia, business, and real-world practice.
The event provided exciting insights into the latest developments in the digitalization of public administration through AI. Topics such as the EU AI Act, AI-supported geoinformation, and Robotic Process Automation were central to the lectures and discussions. Florian Feix from Computacenter addressed the question of what comes after the "AI hype," while Dr Jörg Flüs from the Ministry of the Interior of NRW explained the impact of the EU AI Act on the use of AI in public administrations. The event offered participants a wide range of perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of digitalization in the public sector through an extensive line-up of speakers and in-depth discussions.
In parallel with the conference, guests had the opportunity to engage in networking sessions and visit a partner exhibition, where they could learn about innovative project ideas from students. These projects presented creative solutions for digital administration and fostered networking between young professionals and experts. Rainer Ullrich, a public sector expert, moderated the event and skilfully guided the audience through the multifaceted program.
The highlight of the day was the Graduation Ceremony for 32 graduates of the E-Government degree programme. For the first time, graduates of the dual study model, conducted in cooperation with the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, were honoured. Minister Ina Scharrenbach and University President Professor Dr Oliver Locker-Grütjen presented the graduates with their certificates and praised the significance of their qualifications. The minister emphasized that the graduates, with their knowledge and expertise, are eagerly expected and urgently needed in public authorities. Professor Dr Timo Kahl and Professor Dr Tobias Siebenlist, as Heads of the Programme also highlighted the success of the dual degree programme, which has established partnerships with local municipalities.
The 9th E-Government University Day once again demonstrated the importance of the exchange between theory and practice in public administration informatics and underscored the vital role of dialogue between academia, public administration, and business for the successful digitalization of public administration.