The Higher Education Law Day is an annual symposium that takes place alternately in Erlangen, Cologne, Bonn and Hanover. The aim is to address current issues in higher education law, discuss them with experts and develop concepts for practical application.
Welcome
Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz University Hannover, welcomed the guests at the start of the event. He called for a conference rich in discussion, the results of which could also be significant for higher education policy. Prof. Dr. Claas Friedrich Germelmann then outlined the legal scope of the topic before Prof. Dr. Margrit Seckelmann explained the structure of the programme.
Specialist presentations
Prof. Dr. Sören Auer, Director of TIB and Head of the Data Science and Digital Libraries Research Group, kicked off the event. He highlighted the technical dimensions of research data management, spoke of a ‘flood of publications’ and pointed out ways in which this can be managed. He particularly emphasised the opportunities offered by large language models and knowledge graphs. With ORKG and ORKG.ask, he presented platforms designed to support researchers in organising and evaluating scientific data.
Prof. Dr. Margrit Seckelmann then introduced the legal aspects using the metaphor of a ‘data treasure’ and spoke about the ‘treasure hunt’ for viable solutions. She highlighted how research data can be understood as a valuable resource – and which legal frameworks (e.g. GDPR, Data Governance Act and Data Act) need to be taken into account. Her central concern: sustainable data governance that combines protection and use.
After the lunch break, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Büchner, sociologist and managing director of the Institute of Sociology at LUH with a focus on ‘sociology of digitalisation’, took over. She presented results from her research on data protection in research projects. She drew particular attention to the inherent complexity of data protection: many problems arise because researchers receive little support from transparent infrastructures. She concluded with seven suggestions on how better support could be provided in this area.
Project presentation
During the coffee break, Dr Friederike Knoke and M.A. Tim Albrecht presented their project ‘FODAHEMM – Freedom of Research vs. Data Protection’. Funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, this interdisciplinary research project investigates how legal barriers in everyday research can be removed.
Discussion and conclusion
The programme concluded with a panel discussion, with Barbara Thiel, former Lower Saxony State Commissioner for Data Protection and Of Counsel at lexICT, joining the group of speakers. Prof. Dr Germelmann, who moderated the panel discussion, first addressed questions to the panel participants and then opened the discussion to the audience.
Outlook
- The 18th German Higher Education Law Day showed how complex the debates surrounding research data management are – from technology to law to sociology. The lively discussions at the Leibnizhaus also showed that there is still a need for exchange and a joint search for solutions.
- The organisers would like to thank all those involved and all participants for their commitment and interest before and during the Higher Education Law Day, which made this year's edition such a successful event.
- In addition, this year's Higher Education Law Day would like to express its gratitude for the kind support provided by
funding from zukunft.niedersachsen, the joint science promotion programme of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation, the Association for the Promotion of German & International Science Law, and the publishers C. F. Müller and Nomos.
Written by Tom Cirksena
