Areas of the Digital Technology Implementation Strategy

3.5. Infrastrucure and services

The area of infrastructure and digital services encompasses the technical resources, digital platforms, and services that enable the efficient and secure operation of a higher education institution in a digital environment. This includes network infrastructure, cloud services, user support, data protection, and technical system maintenance. The strategy in this area sets goals related to the availability, reliability, and security of digital systems.

Examples:

• CARNET, in cooperation with higher education institutions, continuously improves the national network infrastructure that ensures high bandwidth and secure connectivity for higher education institutions [21].
• An example of a modern international initiative in the field of infrastructure and services in higher education is the national project for the development of digital competences and infrastructure at Danish universities (2020–2024). Several Danish universities, including Aarhus University, participated in the project “Digital competence development in the digital age from the perspective of the curriculum.” This initiative included the joint development and implementation of digital infrastructure to support digital services in teaching, the integration of digital tools and platforms at the national level, the development of systems supporting the digital competences of teachers and students, the organization of conferences and workshops for exchanging experiences and best practices, and the adaptation of curricula for the digital age, including the introduction of new services based on generative artificial intelligence [22].
• The University of British Columbia uses IBM Cloud infrastructure to support various teaching and research systems, ensuring scalability and high availability [23].

Strategic initiatives include the transition to hybrid cloud infrastructure, the implementation of cybersecurity across all layers of the network system, and the development of unified digital identities and access points for all users [32].