As we enter the second year of the University's investment in the digital transformation programme, I'd like to share with you some of the key milestones, celebrate some achievements, share some of the challenges and thank all the colleagues across the institution who are helping to deliver the transformation.
The digital transformation programme ambition is to become a university that continuously modernises digitally so staff and students can thrive, not just survive in the evolving digital world. Our aim is to put end-users at the heart of our digital services and systems, enabling the University to preserve its unique place in the world by being digitally fit for the future.
A significant transformative step this year was the introduction of a new digital governance framework. By replacing outdated and fragmented IT committees with five new digital portfolios, we are in a better position to align University priorities, simplify and speed up decision-making, and place end-users at the heart of digital Oxford. As my inaugural guest on Episode 1 of the Digital Oxford Podcast, Vice Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey explored the ‘unimaginable possibilities of Oxford’s streaming spires’ sparked by the rewiring of our digital operating model.
These portfolios, led by senior academic leaders, work closely with the Information and Digital Committee (IDC) to steer a clear institution-wide view of what digital services are available to staff and students and at what cost.
This year, for the first time, the Case for Support was created through the joint involvement of the portfolio teams. I am delighted to report that in July the Council granted our collective funding request for the next year. This year-on-year rise in funding reflects the institution’s strategic commitment to equipping our staff and students with new possibilities that neatly blend their physical and digital realms.
Our digital ambition depends on how confidently and creatively staff and students can use digital services to improve their learning, teaching, research, and professional services activities. This year, we’ve focused on improving user experience, exam facilities, research computing, web communication, space management, digital GLAM collections, online courses, and more. We’ve embarked on initiatives to improve our wireless, infrastructure, data, identity, and other digital dimensions. And we’ve partnered closely with divisions, for example by introducing new divisional Heads of Technology.
Oxford’s four Competency Centres are continuing to support and upskill colleagues with new digital tools and capabilities. I am inspired by the hundreds of colleagues from departments, divisions, colleges, and professional services teams working with our competency centres to explore how they can automate tasks, improve cybersecurity, deploy cloud-based solutions for research, and get hands-on with AI. We want to nurture an environment where all colleagues can shape their very own digital transformation. With over 20 colleagues working in our competency centres, we can all access transformative digital expertise on our doorstep and at our fingertips.
In another exciting development, the new AI and Machine Learning Competency Centre is currently helping more than 750 colleagues to road-test premium Generative AI tools Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT Enterprise. By evaluating how colleagues - from research to administration to academia - can benefit from such tools in day-to-day setting, we can help everyone to unlock fascinating new possibilities.
What’s more, in partnership with the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the AI and ML Competency Centre, has launched a new AI Teaching and Learning Exploratory Fund. Our aim is to support projects exploring how AI could be used in teaching and learning. In 2024-25, up to 10 projects can receive expertise from specialists at the Competency Centre.
During the year, I’ll also share how, in partnership with Microsoft, we’ll use AI to innovate in research and education and strengthen our digital underpinnings.
Students and those of us in student-facing roles have started using MyOxford, Oxford’s first student app. My gratitude to students and colleagues who have helped pilot the app remarkably quickly and effectively. This is the first digital product we’re releasing with our continuous improvement approach. You’ll hear about similar digital successes in teaching, learning, research, engagement and dissemination, and our professional services during 2024-2025.
And I hope to see many of you at this year’s Oxford Digital Festival, where, once again, we’ll bring together Oxford’s amazing digital innovators under one roof to celebrate digital Oxford.
As colleagues may have heard me say, I originally resisted calling this programme ‘Digital Transformation’ because the word ‘digital’ suggests it’s just about technology; it’s not. And ‘transformation’ implies that one day it will be done. It’s never really done. We’ll continue to see Oxford digitally transforming for the rest of our lives.
