In recent years, the term Artificial Intelligence (AI) has appeared in more and more areas of our everyday lives. A wide variety of everyday objects and devices have become “smart” and are designed to make one’s life easier. However, in addition to the development of intelligent algorithms for consumer goods, such AI methods are increasingly developed and investigated in research-related fields such as medicine, psychology, natural sciences and humanities. Based on the current digital strategy of the federal government and the assumption that AI as a key technology will continue to be applied in many research areas in the future, students as well as graduates should be enabled to acquire the necessary competencies.
The Thuringian University Initiative for AI in the Curriculum – THInKI is a joint project of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Technische Universität (TU) Ilmenau. Aim of the project is the creation of comprehensive teaching offers and contents in the field of AI for different disciplines at the participating universities. Existing as well as new teaching material and content will be modernized and created over the 4-year duration of the project. In addition, a certificate program will be developed to provide undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines with the opportunity to gain knowledge in the field of AI. The material will be designed and made available primarily in digital, interactive form.
At Uni Jena, THInKI is closely linked to the certificate program Data Literacy Jena (DaLiJe), which teaches basic skills for acquiring, managing as well as processing digital data and includes many basic contents for the basic level of the THInKI certificate. The Master Program “Computational and Data Science” (Uni Jena) and the program “Data Science and Engineering” (to be developed at TU Ilmenau) will contribute more advanced contents.
Concept for the structure of the AI Certificate Program
For the conceptualization, implementation and realization, the TU Ilmenau and the Uni Jena work closely together in a network to create a coherent offer that can be used equally by students and lecturers at both universities. Networking and cooperation is promoted and organized by the Thuringian Center for Learning Systems and Robotics (TZLR), as a joint institution of both universities.
Press release at TU Ilmenau and Uni Jena
Involved Partners
TU Ilmenau
- Databases and Information Systems
- Neuroinformatics and Cognitive Robotics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics
- Computational Communication Science
- Central Institute for Education
University of Jena
- Advanced Computing; Scalable Data- and Compute-Intensive Analyses Lab; Scientific Computing
- General Geophysics; Theoretical Physics
- Digital Humanities
- Psychological Methodology
- Mathematics Education
- Historical Pedagogy and Global Education
- Competence Center Digital Research (zedif)