Experts UG work on Data Autonomy definition

Recently, a group of experts from the University of Groningen collaborated to establish a comprehensive working definition of Data Autonomy. The goal is to develop a definition that accurately reflects the diverse perspectives and needs within the UG community.

The input for the definition was the outcome of the event Let’s talk Data Autonomy on the 8th of March. During this meeting, several representatives of the university discussed what data autonomy means to them in their work at the university.

Seven different roles, seven different definitions

During the event of 8th March participants were divided into seven groups, representing different roles within the university: Big Data Specialists, ICT & Security Specialists, Policymakers, Law and Privacy Specialists, Researchers, Students, Support & Management Staff, Teachers. Each group engaged in fruitful discussions, ultimately providing a Data Autonomy definition that best represents their respective roles.

Working definition Data Autonomy

A collective of experts took a closer look at these different definitions of data autonomy and together formulated a working definition that acknowledges the different and diverse context of the activities at the UG:

“Data autonomy is the effective capacity of the academic community of the University of Groningen to make meaningful decisions about access to data, data flows, the uses of data and the design of the informational environment, to the degree necessary to freely and independently pursue the university's mission, to promote knowledge dissemination and to protect the rights of its students and employees. This capacity is required to protect academic freedom and the independence of the university.”

The working definition requires further consideration and input from the stakeholder community. More information about the context and the prospect of the working definition can be found at the Data Autonomy website. With this outcome, the road to data autonomy will be continued at the launch event ‘Data Autonomy: Let's do it!’ on June 22 at the House of Connections.

Roadmap to Data Autonomy: academic freedom in the digital age

The CIT has started the discussion to investigate the possibilities of how the University of Groningen can gain more autonomy over its data in the future. Together with various representatives from across the university, the UG works on a roadmap to promote data autonomy and a strategy that will enable the UG to respect, protect and promote academic freedom in the digital age.