Digital sciences

‘We do more in digital sciences than people think’

Article 4 min. Joost Bijlsma

Dean Boudewijn Haverkort of the Tilburg School of Humanities & Digital Sciences thinks that Tilburg University can distinguish itself in digital sciences. Certainly, if the university focuses on the interface between this new technology and the humanities and social sciences. “Societal problems do not respect discipline boundaries.”

"Digital sciences are the breakthrough in our society. Do we want to embrace this or are we going to remain on the sidelines?" Boudewijn Haverkort asked this rhetorical question during a presentation of the findings of the digital sciences deliberation table. In this consultative body, which he chaired, eighteen Tilburg University employees examined the position of digital sciences in the new strategy towards the university's centenary in 2027. According to Haverkort, there are major opportunities here. Programs relating to digital sciences are attractive to students. "The demand for knowledge on the labor market is high while the supply is lagging behind. "And it is also interesting to focus on digital sciences when it comes to raising funding for research. "After all, the emphasis in government funding is shifting from alpha and gamma to beta. You can get angry about that, and we should definitely do that. But we must also seize the opportunities that this offers," Haverkort believes. He was willing to elaborate on the backgrounds and findings of the deliberation table in an interview.  

Why were digital sciences chosen as one of the eight deliberation table themes?

"Tilburg University is a university that focuses on humanities and social sciences. Digital technology is radically changing the way we interact with each other. To remain relevant in our fields of science, we need to study this area and preferably contribute to its development."

Boudewijn Haverkort

I was pleased to see how much we are already doing in the area of digital sciences

Dean Boudewijn Haverkort van de Tilburg School of Humanities & Digital Sciences

How was the deliberation table composed?  

"We looked for participants from all over the university. My fellow Deans always sent two colleagues from each School. That resulted in a diverse group, more diverse than if I had invited people myself. I was pleased to see how much we are already doing in the area of digital sciences. The fact that we learned about each other's activities also created opportunities for collaboration. The participants regularly said: what you do fits in well with what we do."

What was an interesting insight for you?

 "I was surprised at how intensely the School of Theology is involved with information technology. For example, Frank Bosman told me about his interest in gaming and theology. For him, on the other hand, it was interesting to learn about insights into the latest IT technology."

Strategy is a matter of choice. Which digital sciences studies should Tilburg University focus on? 

"We shouldn't go into areas that the technical universities are already strong in. We are happy to leave something like hardware to them. Then we can concentrate on what we are already very good at, such as artificial intelligence. That's really a hidden treasure of this university."

Many people react with surprise when you tell them what we do

I understand that the university also distinguishes itself in knowledge of how to apply digital technology. In what areas do you see this particularly?

"We have good research groups studying legal and ethical aspects of digital technology. Our research on the use of digital technology in healthcare and in energy transition is also very good."

Are there any points on which the university could become stronger according to the deliberation table?

"What we can work on is digital security. We know a lot about the legal side of cyber security, but still too little about the technology side."

The deliberation table believes that Tilburg University can develop into an authority in “digital sciences for society.” Does the outside world already see the university as a digital sciences university?

"No. Many people react with surprise when you tell them what we do. People now know us as a social sciences and humanities university. That is also how we present ourselves to the outside world. If it were up to me, we would soon be known as a social sciences, humanities, and digital sciences university."

We already have seven study programs with 2,000 students engaged in digital sciences

That’s quite a statement. Is there sufficient evidence to support this?

"We are building on a strong foundation. We already have seven study programs with 2,000 students engaged in digital sciences. That is more than many computer science departments at other universities. In addition, we have three programs with a strong relationship to digital sciences. And we haven't even mentioned our broad research portfolio with appealing activities, such as Mindlabs in the city of Tilburg and the Academy of Data Science (JADS) in Den Bosch. We can propagate this rich range of activities more effectively."

What exactly do you mean by propagate?

"It is not so much that we have to shout this out loud in our marketing, but rather that we tell a clear and coherent story. And also that we show ourselves more emphatically as a digital sciences party in networks, such as coalitions and national programs, for example around the top sectors."

Have you also talked about the use of digital resources in education? 

"No. That was dealt with at the digital deliberation table on educational developments."

You did talk about more digital sciences as part of students’ education, didn't you?

"We believe that the basic knowledge of all lecturers and students about digital technology should be of a higher level. Lecturers could brush up on this through lifelong learning and students through minors with basic knowledge about digital sciences. This should be offered to all students, regardless of their disciplines. I see it as a rewarding prospect that students from the various disciplines can meet each other during such a minor and work together on projects."

Are the results still coordinated among the deliberation tables?

"That's a puzzle, but the pieces are increasingly starting to fit together. You see overlap emerging. Like the idea of an academic collaborative center for digital mental healthcare. That is interesting for digital sciences researchers and psychologists. We are going to define joint research projects on a theme such as this. This multidisciplinarity will be given an important place in the new Strategy. I think this is justified. The societal problems that we have to solve do not respect discipline boundaries. If we bring disciplines together, we can provide better answers."

Memorandum on the deliberation table on Digital Sciences

The deliberation table on Digital Sciences recommends the further expansion and development of digital sciences as a strategic subject. It believes that this can best be done under the motto Digital Sciences for Society. After all, the strength of the university lies in the issues surrounding the application of technology in society. In that area, it is possible to grow into an authority. To achieve this, we will have to work on four issues:

  1. more basic knowledge of students and lectures about digital sciences;
  2. innovating in digital sciences areas such as artificial intelligence, information systems, data science, and blockchain;
  3. the application of digital sciences in research focused on social themes. Successful areas are already: health & well-being, law & technology, and climate & energy transition. While there are still opportunities in: financial technology, e-learning, and the application of digital technology in companies and organizations.
  4. reflecting on ethical, legal, and social aspects of technology and making the insights available to society. 

Read the report of the deliberation table