Master's program for sustainable digital transformation
From autumn 2022, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts will be offering a new Master's degree in "IT, Digitalization & Sustainability". The HSLU is responding to the increasing demand for IT professionals who can ensure that digital transformation and sustainability go hand in hand with this degree program, which is unique in Switzerland.
How can information technology contribute to sustainable development? This question is the focus of the new Master "IT, Digitization & Sustainability" (ITDS) at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The master's program is based at the Department of Computer Science and will start in the fall semester of 2022. "Sustainable development and digital transformation are terms that are rarely thought of together in public perception, even though they are closely linked," says program director Peter Wullschleger. The new master's program, which is unique in Switzerland, takes this development into account. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is also responding to the growing demand in the economy for IT professionals in the field of sustainable digitization.
Information technologies for more sustainability
The term sustainability goes beyond the ecological dimension, as Peter Wullschleger explains. "We base our curriculum on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They form our thematic guard rails." This means that in addition to an intact environment, aspects such as social justice and economic development are also considered.
The program director provides some examples of how information technologies can be used to pursue the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Corruption is a major obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of "Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions". Artificial intelligence is to help detect illegal payments and thus combat corruption.
- Coffee farmers in the South often profit little from the product that is sold at a high price in the North. Digital certificates based on NFT technology could ensure that ecological and social standards are met during cultivation (goals "No poverty" and "Living on land").
- Less food waste thanks to apps: The programs inform users about surplus food in restaurants or markets in the area that is being given away free of charge - and thus contribute to achieving the "No Hunger" and "Responsible Consumption and Production" goals.
Internationally oriented Master's program
The first half of the two-year master's program is divided into five areas: Intercultural Collaboration, Project Management & Leadership, Digital Transformation, Natural Language Processing & Information Systems, and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning. All areas are linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the curriculum.
The Master ITDS is internationally oriented. The language of instruction is English. "Finding solutions to the complex issues surrounding sustainability often requires cross-border cooperation," says Peter Wullschleger. This requires knowledge of intercultural competence, project management and leadership. These therefore play just as central a role in the course as the development of the students' technical skills.
More information: hslu.ch/master-itds
