How artificial intelligence is changing the world of work and what skills young people will need in the future are among the most pressing questions of our time. With the joint project "AI for Business | Business for AI (ABBA)", funded by Germany's federal and state governments with €4.2 million, the University of Bayreuth, together with the University of Hohenheim, the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has established an inter-university course programme that specifically prepares students for these developments. Over the four years of the project, 13,000 direct student contact points were achieved at the participating locations – impressive evidence of how much interest in AI skills has grown.
The University of Bayreuth played a key role in the design and implementation of new AI teaching formats within the consortium. A total of 15 new or significantly enhanced AI-related courses were created at the University of Bayreuth, which will be anchored in teaching in the long term. These include modules such as "Management of AI-based Systems", "Applied AI" and "Data Engineering", as well as project-oriented seminars, practical exercises and hackathons, which were carried out in cooperation with regional companies. The formats are aimed at students from various economics degree programmes and impart not only technical understanding, but also reflective and responsible behaviour when dealing with AI systems.
"Our students should not only use AI, but also understand how it works, its limitations, and its social significance," explains Prof. Dr. Torsten Eymann, who led the project at the University of Bayreuth. "This understanding is becoming a key competence in view of the profound changes in the labour market."
A key result of the overall project is the AI competence model, which the four universities developed jointly. The model comprises six clearly defined areas of competence: it takes into account the technological and data-related fundamentals, the application of AI in operational contexts, the management and organisational design of AI use, the development and operation of AI systems, and overarching reflective skills on ethical, legal, and social issues. These areas complement each other and together form a framework for comprehensive AI qualification. The model offers universities a central orientation for the further development of their curricula and supports companies in better classifying qualification profiles. At the same time, it makes it easier for students to assess their own level of competence and shows them how they can develop in a targeted manner. "The competence model creates transparency in a field that is developing rapidly," says project coordinator Prof. Dr. Henner Gimpel. "It shows students and companies alike which skills will be crucial in the future."
The Open Educational Resources (OER) developed in the project have a particularly lasting impact. Together with its partners, the University of Bayreuth has made a comprehensive selection of digital teaching materials freely available, including case studies, programming examples, interactive exercises, and complete lectures. These materials are open to schools, universities, and continuing education providers, as well as companies in the region that want to train their employees in the use of AI. The project thus contributes to a broad strengthening of AI competence in science, business, and society far beyond the academic sphere.
By continuing the newly created teaching formats and making the OER openly available, the University of Bayreuth is helping to ensure that the knowledge gained in the project is permanently incorporated into teaching and regional exchange. Students continue to have the opportunity to acquire AI skills in a practical manner, while companies and education partners benefit from freely accessible materials. ABBA thus remains an important building block for the continuous development of AI education in the region.
