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18.08.2026 09:05

IU International University of Applied Sciences establishes new AI Research Institute

IU press department Presse + Kommunikation
IU Internationale Hochschule

    Long-term research examines how AI is changing human learning, judgement and professional competence

    With the AI Research Institute, IU International University of Applied Sciences is establishing a new research institute dedicated to investigating the long-term effects of human-AI collaboration – a field of research that has so far received limited empirical investigation.

    At the heart of the new institute's work is a key question for the future: How does the sustained use of artificial intelligence change human judgement, problem-solving skills and professional competence?

    “Technology itself is not the bottleneck. What matters is that people learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly, critically assess its outputs and make informed decisions. This is precisely where we see one of the greatest areas of research need in the coming years,” explains Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

    “With the AI Research Institute at IU, we are now creating the scientific basis for understanding how these competencies develop with sustained AI use and how education can specifically foster them. These are precisely the skills that can be scientifically researched, taught, measured and further developed,” Bhattacharya continues.

    AI research under real-world conditions

    With nearly 130,000 students studying in digital and hybrid learning environments, IU provides the opportunity to investigate human-AI collaboration under real-world conditions, across disciplines and learning contexts and over longer periods of time. This makes it possible to empirically investigate long-term developments in judgement, problem-solving skills and professional competence, rather than focusing solely on short-term effects of AI use.

    “Whether nurses, marketing managers or educators, the decisive question in the future will no longer be whether people use AI, but when they can trust it and when a decision needs to be consciously made by a human. We therefore do not just want to investigate what AI can do technically. We want to understand what sustained AI use means for human learning, judgement and professional competence, and how this can create measurable benefits for students and society,” says Institute Director Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

    Future-oriented research areas

    The institute brings together its research in four central areas:

    1) Human-AI competence: What skills do people need to use AI effectively and critically evaluate its outputs, rather than delegating judgements without reflection?

    2) Learning, teaching and assessment: How can AI support learning, feedback and assessment in a personalised and scientifically sound way, while maintaining human decision-making authority?

    3) Work, professions and organisations: How does sustained AI use change professional roles, expert judgements and organisational decision-making processes?

    4) Responsible human-AI systems: What design principles can be used to create fair and transparent AI systems with an appropriate balance between support and automation?

    Four research projects at launch

    Four research projects are already being implemented as the institute launches:

    1) Fairgrade investigates how AI can support the academic assessment of theses. The aim is to make assessment processes more transparent and consistent, while the person responsible for the assessment remains the final decision-maker at all times.

    2) KI Reflex investigates how a self-developed AI chatbot can support the professional self-reflection of IU distance-learning students. The project analyses user experience, interaction patterns and the didactic integration of the chatbot into the teaching and learning process in distance learning.

    3) Adaptive Learning investigates how personality traits influence collaboration with AI-based learning environments and how this can lead to more personalised and effective learning opportunities.

    4) DigiLearn investigates which learning strategies contribute to students' success in distance learning and how personality and life circumstances influence academic success. Based on these findings, the project aims to develop scientifically sound measures to provide targeted support for students and help prevent dropouts.

    Research with direct benefits for study and careers

    The AI Research Institute combines scientific excellence with concrete practical relevance. Students are involved voluntarily in research projects in compliance with data protection requirements and scientific and ethical standards. The knowledge gained will feed directly into the further development of AI-supported systems at IU, as well as into the design of future work and educational processes.

    About the AI Research Institute
    The AI Research Institute at IU International University of Applied Sciences brings together interdisciplinary expertise from artificial intelligence, computer science, education, social sciences and business. As one of three IU Research Institutes, it is designed as a long-term initiative and brings together research, teaching and practice with the aim of translating scientific findings directly into applications for education and the world of work. The institutional framework of the IU Research Institutes is designed for research groups with funding typically provided for five years. In this way, IU creates the conditions for sustainable research with a long-term perspective.

    For more information, please visit: https://www.iu.de/en/research/projects/ai-research-institute/

    Contact: thorsten.froehlich@iu.org

    Information for interested journalists
    For questions, interview requests with the above-mentioned professors as well as image material, please contact the press office of IU International University of Applied Sciences: presse@iu.org


    Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:

    Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich
    Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences
    thorsten.froehlich@iu.org


    Weitere Informationen:

    https://www.iu.de/en/research/projects/ai-research-institute/


    Bilder

    Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science at IU International University of Applied Sciences
    Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science ...

    Copyright: IU International University of Applied Sciences

    Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences
    Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University o ...

    Copyright: IU International University of Applied Sciences


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    Prof. Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, Vice-Rector for Research and Transfer and Professor of Computer Science at IU International University of Applied Sciences


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    Prof. Dr Thorsten Fröhlich, Professor of IT Management and Big Data at IU International University of Applied Sciences


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