Without digital applications or ICT infrastructure, our university would not function. It is essential for supporting education, research, and administrative processes. It provides both students and staff with the means to operate efficiently in a rapidly changing world. UGent’s platforms have strong points, such as the Ufora platform, which facilitates access to course materials, centralises communication between students and lecturers, and supports the organisation of educational and examination activities. Systems like Oasis also play a crucial role in student administration by efficiently managing enrolments, personal data, study credits, and exam results. Researchers can manage their research through specialised software and databases, such as Gismo. The recent focus on data security and privacy ensures that users can rely on a secure digital environment.
While UGent’s systems offer significant advantages, there are important areas for improvement that can optimise efficiency and user-friendliness, allowing the ICT infrastructure to reach the level of leading international universities. The systems exhibit a considerable degree of fragmentation, requiring staff and students to consult different platforms frequently. This causes confusion and sometimes frustration, reducing efficiency. Therefore, in the upcoming administrative period, we will focus on the following:
- Centralising and Improving Access to ICT Systems
Every UGent member can relate: you log into one platform, want to switch to another, and have to do it again; depending on the task, maybe several times. This causes staff and students to lose time, makes the platforms feel less accessible, and leads to frustration. Therefore, we are working on a central access system that provides access to various ICT services through a single interface to significantly improve the user experience. By implementing a single sign-on (SSO) system, every UGent member should be able to log in once and then access all necessary platforms.
It is also crucial that UGent invests in integrated systems that simplify both data analysis and management. With UGI (the UGent Integrated Information System), we already have a platform where much data about our students is collected. However, faculties collect additional information in separate databases, making it difficult to link information effectively, and data analysis and management could be more efficient. Therefore, we propose moving to a broader integrated system that allows centrally and faculty-collected information to be better linked, analysed, and managed. Such an approach would strengthen collaboration between various university services and faculties and improve overall efficiency.
- Simplifying and Reducing Administrative Processes
The complexity of administrative processes is one of the biggest frustrations users experiences. The multitude of systems and procedures for tasks such as contract requests, transfer registrations, or simply reserving rooms leads to delays and inefficiency. While digital tools often promise time savings for the end user, in practice, insufficient consideration is given to the administrative burden associated with data entry and approval steps, for example, in SuccessFactors. This results in workload for staff responsible for checking and approving administrative requests, while students and staff are forced to wait for responses or approvals, for example, with reservations in TimeEdit. This inefficiency widens the gap between the ideal digital experience and daily practice, undermining trust in the system. Therefore, we proactively seek improvement opportunities in the various systems and associated regulations in collaboration with the university services.
- Funding Datasets, Data Management, and Technology for Research
Many research projects depend on datasets with high annual licensing costs. This endangers the continuity of research and increases the financial pressure on individual research groups. Therefore, structural funding for datasets must be provided so researchers can focus on their scientific activities without worrying annually about funding their data access. Additionally, structural basic funding for Core Facilities must be implemented. This would facilitate the financial management of infrastructure and research equipment and ensure the continuity of research activities.
We are also aware that the use of various ICT tools and programmes comes with significant costs. Online databases, research software, and the platforms we use for our educational activities have already become more expensive in recent years, and this trend will likely continue in the future. To prevent students and researchers from losing access to necessary systems, we will continue to monitor this as a university and provide the necessary resources within UGent’s budget.
Moreover, the university must continue to invest in innovative technologies that can advance scientific research. Deploying (cloud-based) computing power and advanced tools for data management can increase researchers’ capacity to process large amounts of data and perform advanced analyses. These systems must also allow open science and collaboration with international research institutions and other partners. Sharing knowledge and data can enhance the visibility of research and UGent as a university and contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge.
- Making Open-Access Publications More Affordable
When we invest public funds in research, datasets, infrastructure, etc., it is logical to focus as much as possible on the public accessibility of research output. The need for open-access publications is growing, and strategic negotiations with publishers are necessary to reduce costs. Other universities have already concluded contracts to reduce publication fees, and UGent could play a more active role in this.
- Prioritising User-Friendliness
User-friendliness must be the guiding principle for all tools and dashboards. In addition to the previous proposals, we aim to improve access to various systems so that users can use them not only on desktop computers but also on mobile devices. This way, students and staff can access the information they need anytime and anywhere. This must, of course, go hand in hand with redesigning the interfaces of existing systems. For example, allowing dashboards to be personalised can enable users to quickly gain insights into the information relevant to them and easily access the tools they need daily.
To further increase system efficiency, investment in technical support and customer service is essential. In addition to the current helpdesks, we aim to provide assistance through self-service portals and automated chatbots so that users can quickly find answers to common questions. By analysing frequently asked questions, we can also focus on improving the systems. This should fit into a broader culture of continuous improvement and feedback. Regular feedback from students and staff about their experiences with the ICT systems can help the university quickly address issues and unmet needs. By integrating such feedback systems, UGent can continue to grow and optimise its ICT environment.