The summer school was organised by Dig-IT Lab researchers Qianwen Xu and Tobias Oechtering, with contributions from their centre colleagues. In line with Dig-IT Lab\u2019s cross-disciplinary vision, topics spanned from smart microgrids and AI-based data-driven prediction models to the ethical aspects of technology development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDigitalisation is not only a technical challenge. To develop solutions that can actually be implemented in society, technical advances need to be considered together with aspects such as ethics, privacy, business models and societal impact,\u201d says Qianwen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An online-only approach<\/strong> \u201cIt was an experiment, since we did not have a budget to organise a physical summer school. The implementation was surprisingly smooth, and this way we could attract more international attendees and provide a diverse programme, which might not have been possible otherwise,\u201d says co-organiser Tobias Oechtering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qianwen describes the combination of accessibility, flexibility and broad international participation as one of the strengths of the summer school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe modular format allowed participants to join the sessions most relevant to them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evaluation and looking ahead When asked whether they would attend another Dig-IT Lab summer school, participants gave a score of 9.6 out of 10 \u2013 a result echoed by the organisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was of course teamwork \u2013 without everyone organising and teaching their modules, it would not have been possible. It went so well that colleagues were open, after the closing session, to running such a summer school again in two years,\u201d says Tobias.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOverall, we are very happy with how well it worked, and especially with the strong contribution from everyone involved,\u201d says Qianwen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Qianwen Xua<\/strong>
All sessions were run as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). The format was to some extent a practical necessity, but turned out to have merits of its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>In total, 216 participants took part, from 55 countries, with a majority coming from Sweden, India, Indonesia, Italy, China, Egypt, Germany and the UK. Participants were positive about everything from individual topics to the whole cross-disciplinary approach and flexible format. They also appreciated the chance to collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Qianwen](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2026\/01\/qianwenx-800x800-1.jpg\")
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Associate Professor
Profile<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
![\"Tobias](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2024\/03\/T-oechtering_800x800.jpg\")
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