Higher education institutions, particularly universities of technology, are ideally situated to advance critical inquiry and implementation of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and digital transformation. This is a fundamental mission of higher education and universities of technology, to act as generators and incubators of technological innovation and educating and training the innovators of tomorrow in responsible and ethical conduct. In this brief communication, we will set out to outline policy positions for actors (at policy-making level as well as those in university management and governance) in higher education institutions to consider in order to support responsible and sustainable digital transformation. Moreover, here we outline our position that it is time for a paradigm shift in digital transformation that attempts to separate it from neoliberal economic models and mindsets, and looks to alternative epistemologies and political economies (and ontologies) for ecologically sustainable and ethical digital transformation. Here we propose a concept of bifurcation, or a radical break or fork, or series of forks, from the deleterious and unsustainable practices and systems of the past that have led to a global ecological emergency. We propose to use an interdisciplinary notion of bifurcation in order to underline the need to facilitate and foster a radical change of recent culture and late-modern societies, supported and enabled by the best digital technologies that we do have, and fostering also the inception and implementation of innovative new technologies fit for the purpose of this bifurcation.

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

Alessandra Sannella;
2025-01-01

Abstract

Higher education institutions, particularly universities of technology, are ideally situated to advance critical inquiry and implementation of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and digital transformation. This is a fundamental mission of higher education and universities of technology, to act as generators and incubators of technological innovation and educating and training the innovators of tomorrow in responsible and ethical conduct. In this brief communication, we will set out to outline policy positions for actors (at policy-making level as well as those in university management and governance) in higher education institutions to consider in order to support responsible and sustainable digital transformation. Moreover, here we outline our position that it is time for a paradigm shift in digital transformation that attempts to separate it from neoliberal economic models and mindsets, and looks to alternative epistemologies and political economies (and ontologies) for ecologically sustainable and ethical digital transformation. Here we propose a concept of bifurcation, or a radical break or fork, or series of forks, from the deleterious and unsustainable practices and systems of the past that have led to a global ecological emergency. We propose to use an interdisciplinary notion of bifurcation in order to underline the need to facilitate and foster a radical change of recent culture and late-modern societies, supported and enabled by the best digital technologies that we do have, and fostering also the inception and implementation of innovative new technologies fit for the purpose of this bifurcation.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
s11569-025-00482-z.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Articolo
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 293.14 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
293.14 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11580/122608
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
social impact