Mit Polyvalenz aus der Polykrise: kooperative Lösungen für vernetzte Probleme - U:FF 2026.

Emerging from the Polycrisis with Polyvalence: Cooperative Solutions for Interconnected Problems: A presentation by Matthias Bandtel at the University:Future Festival 2026. This session explores the potential and challenges of university collaborations. Faced with complex problems, universities must find cooperative solutions that operate on multiple levels. How can polyvalence collaboration succeed when collaborations are under pressure from funding, competition, and adaptation? Based on findings from the HFD Agora, the talk on university collaborations for digital transformation approaches the topic from a multi-faceted perspective: Research results on success factors for inter-university collaboration are discussed. An overview outlines legal requirements and scope for action in collaborations. Practical examples illustrate how strategic networking is developing to promote federated AI infrastructures, collaborative teaching and learning opportunities, and knowledge transfer. Session participants will learn about approaches to balancing tensions in collaborations in order to strengthen the resilience of the higher education system in the polycrisis through cooperation. /// The sixth edition of the University:Future Festival took place from June 22-24, 2026, under the motto "Under Pressure!" The hybrid festival was held in person in Berlin, Braunschweig, Essen, Graz, Hamburg, and Nuremberg. The University:Future Festival (U:FF) is the largest event dedicated to the (digital) future of academic education. Topics included AI, future skills, didactics, and strategic processes. Participants enjoyed a diverse program with approximately 280 presentations from around 550 speakers! The University:Future Festival is a collaboration between the Higher Education Forum on Digitalization, the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education, and the Stifterverband (Donors' Association for German Science). The partner stages were organized by the Emerging Tech Lab and the Media Lab of the Project House at TU Braunschweig, ORCA.nrw, Graz University of Technology, Ohm University and UTN Nuremberg, and the University of Hamburg in conjunction with OERCamp. More information is available at https://festival.hfd.digital/de/