'Digital must be at the heart of university strategy,' says Vice Chancellor
Vice Chancellor Damien Page has set out a bold vision for the future of higher education, placing digital culture at the heart of student experience, teaching excellence and institutional strategy.
Speaking at the UCISA* Leadership Summit in Liverpool on Monday 17 March, Professor Page said universities must balance challenge and simplicity. Learning, he argued, should remain demanding and intellectually rigorous - but everything else, from application to accessing systems, should be simple and seamless.
“Digital is about complexity that creates ease,” he said, stressing that digital must not be treated as infrastructure or an afterthought, but as a core foundation of how universities operate, embedded in decision-making, strategy and everyday practice.
“For us at BNU, digital is far more than infrastructure; for us, digital needs to infuse everything we do, it needs to be fluid, flowing through everyday operation, everyday routines and norms, and every aspect of the work of a university.”
Reflecting on past technological change - from the early internet to artificial intelligence - Professor Page said predictions about the ‘end of universities’ are nothing new. “The real priority,” he stressed, “is ensuring education remains a fundamentally human endeavour in a digital age.”
The human touch
Speaking about the dilemmas surrounding AI, Professor Page highlighted the growing importance of the humanities and social sciences in shaping ethical and societal understanding of AI, adding that their role is becoming more important, not less.
“AI doesn’t diminish the value of the humanities; it amplifies their urgency,” he said. “Last year I spent three days with AI researchers from around the world and one thing became very clear to me: we need the humanities and the social sciences more than ever. We need the language of philosophy to ask about ethics and responsibility. We need the language of sociology to understand how technology reshapes relationships, communities, and identity. We need the language of history to remind us that every technological revolution before this one brought both progress and unintended consequences. And we need the language of the arts to keep the human experience at the centre of technology.”
Four steps to building a digital culture
Professor Page outlined four key steps to building a digital culture. “First, digital leadership must be at the heart of decision-making,” he said, calling for a Chief Information Officer (CIO) to sit on executive teams so that digital is part of every conversation.
“Second, we need a shared language - one that connects technology with teaching and learning in a way people understand.
“Third, digital has to be embedded in strategy. It shouldn’t sit separately - it should underpin everything we do, from teaching excellence to personalised student experiences and careers.
“And finally, digital has to work for people. That means getting the basics right - reliable systems, strong digital skills and a focus on everyday experience.”
He also called for a shift away from traditional long-term strategies towards more flexible, evolving approaches. Bucks’ forthcoming strategy, he said, will focus on a small number of student-centred priorities, underpinned by ‘talent’ - people committed to improving outcomes, embracing innovation and taking accountability.
The VC-CIO pact
Concluding, Professor Page emphasised the importance of a strong partnership between Vice Chancellor and CIO to align technology with educational goals that drive student outcomes.
“At the centre of it all is the VC-CIO pact - a critical, strategic partnership built on mutual trust where technology and business goals are inseparable, where digital and educational goals are inseparable,” he said. “Universities only work if digital works.”
*UCISA - Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association
