Policy Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions to Begin Advancing from Digital Transformation to Bifurcation

This paper advocates for a paradigm shift in how higher education institutions engage with digital transformation, proposing the concept of bifurcation as a normative and critical alternative. While digital technologies continue to reshape education, research, and society at large, the authors argue that universities must move beyond market-driven innovation to foster ethically and ecologically responsible digital futures. Drawing from interdisciplinary perspectives and practices within the European University of Technology’s ECT Lab+ and ESSLab+, the paper outlines the philosophical and epistemological foundations of bifurcation—emphasizing the need to critically reassess prevailing human-nature-technology relations. The authors propose a framework for institutional transformation grounded in responsible innovation, sustainability, and inclusion. A series of policy recommendations is offered, ranging from sustainable digital infrastructure and ethical education models to open-source governance and international collaboration. Ultimately, the paper positions universities as key actors in catalysing a cultural and digital bifurcation that responds to planetary and societal challenges.