Prof. Dr. Doris Weßels

Business and Computer Science

Doris Weßels is a business information scientist and taught at HAW Kiel until 28.02.2025 with a focus on project management and natural language processing.

Since 2018, her research has focused on developments in the field of Natural Language Processing and the resulting consequences for the Areas of Education.

On September 1, 2022, she founded the Virtual Competence Center for Artificial Intelligence and Academic Work (VK:KIWA) with experts from across Germany.

As part of the AI Application Center Schleswig-Holstein, she initiated and established the Future Lab Generative AI at the R&D Research Center of HAW Kiel. Together with her team, she supervises a wide range of AI projects from Buisness, science and education.

In addition to her activities as a member of the supervisory board, she contributes her expertise to various national and international AI expert and advisory boards.

Overview of organizations and committees (as of July 2025):

Participation in the scientific advisory boardAI-SKILLS of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin from July 2023, link to the project website: https://ai-skills.hu-berlin.de/
Participation in the advisory board of the AI Campus 2.0: period 2023-2025
Member of the AI Expert Council Schleswig-Holstein from February 2024
Member of the AI Expert Council (AI Expert Pool) of the City of Vienna from fall 2024, see list of members: https: //digitales.wien.gv.at/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2024/09/AI-Expert-Pool.pdf
Member of the "AI in Higher Education" working group of the German Science Council from November 2024
Member of the task force "AI in higher education" in the Alliance for Future Skills as part of the Stifterverband's Future Mission Education from January 2025
Member of the advisory board "Artificial Intelligence in the Areas of Education " of Cornelsen Verlag GmbH from March 2025
Member of the Expert:innenrat of the Trendmonitoring AI in Education of the Telekom Foundation: https://www.telekom-stiftung.de/aktivitaeten/trendmonitor-ki-der-bildung - from March 2025
Member of the expert advisory board for the Digital and Innovation Hub of the Euro HAW Hamburg - from March 2025
Jury member for the NDR Non-Fiction Prize 2025 - from July 2025
Member of the advisory board of the EU-funded project "Teacher Academy: AI2PI - From Artificial Intelligence to Pedagogical Innovation" with lead partner Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - from April 2025

Current awards:

2024 and again 2025: Award as representative of the top 10 minds in the science category of the German-speaking education scene by the Bildung-Table editorial team:

Doris Weßels

Head of the Future Lab Generative AI in Schleswig-Holstein

"Hardly anyone can classify the influence of artificial intelligence on schools and universities as accurately as Doris Weßels. She recognized the potential and the force of the change in language models even before the ChatGPT hype and has since organized the first "Agentathon" with the Kiel Future Lab Generative AI (ZGKI) - the further development of hackathons in the face of AI agents. The ZGKI is a research project of the state of Schleswig-Holstein with the aim of promoting AI-supported business and start-up processes. Weßels previously worked at Kiel University of Applied Sciences for more than 16 years, most recently as Professor of Business IT. Her goal is to help shape the future of education in the age of AI with a willingness to experiment, a sense of responsibility and courage."

Announcement link 10.12. 2025: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bildung-table_topofthetable25-wissenschaft-activity-7404433506405281792-J_Tj, Website: https://table.media/bildung/heads-category/die-100-10-entscheidenden-koepfe-der-bildungsszene-2025-wissenschaft, Call: 11.12.2025

Vita

Academic education: Diplom-Mathematikerin, Dr. rer. pol.

07/1987: Diploma in Mathematics (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster) with a minor in Business Administration and an Elective Module in Computer Science
1987-1989: Research assistant at the Institute for Numerical and Instrumental Mathematics at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster in the DFG research project "Pranumfrei"
Parallel to working as a research assistant at the WWU from 1988-1989: Lecturer in mathematics at the Department of Civil Engineering (Prof. Dr. R. Runge) at HAW Münster
1989-1992: Research assistant at the Institute for Finance and Investment at the University of Oldenburg (Prof. Dr. P. Betge)
05/1992: Obtained a doctorate in economics (Dr. rer. pol.) for the dissertation "Modeling concepts in the context of environmental protection-induced innovation management", University of Oldenburg

Further professional career:

1992-2000: System consultant, project and product manager and sales representative at Norddeutsche Informations-Systeme GmbH
2001-2003: Key Account and Business Development Manager at eMIS GmbH (Headquarters North Carolina USA) and Head of the Internal Customer Business Development Center at MobilCom Multimedia GmbH
2004: Business Coordination - HSH Nordbank AG
2004-2005: Professor for Business IT at the Berufsakademie/Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein GmbH
2005-2008: Head of the Business IT program at the Berufsakademie/Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein GmbH

1.09.2008-28.02.2025: Professor of Business IT at the Department of Buisness at HAW Kiel

since 1.03.2025:

Scientific Director at the AI Application Center Schleswig-Holstein for the Future Lab Generative AI at the R&D Center HAW Kiel GmbH

Research and transfer

News in the press/interviews/blog posts/guest articles and publications section (only selected examples, here from January 2025):

Guest article in ZEIT, No. 03/2025, p. 31: "Die Position: Schluss mit absurden KI-Regeln!", link to ZEIT-Online: https://www.zeit.de/2025/03/kuenstliche-intelligenz-studium-hochschulen-regeln, call: 16.01.2025, cited here: https://oneainews.com/kunstliche-intelligenz-im-studium-ending-absurd-ai-rules-in-german-universities/, call: 16.01.2025

Guest article for the F.A.Z. PRO Digitalwirtschaft <newsletter@nl.faz.net> from 22.01.2025: "Wenn nur KI unterrichtet", Link: https://www.faz.net/pro/digitalwirtschaft/kuenstliche-intelligenz/wenn-nur-ki-unterrichtet-110243394.html, call: 22.01.2025

Interview for the Wübben Foundation's online magazine SCHUB on the use of AI in schools: https://www.schub-magazin.org/108-nachgefragt-ki-schulen-wessels-nrw-2025/, publication and call on 29.01.2025

Interview on "AI in schools - What we can do to ensure that artificial intelligence helps with learning and not with sorting out", Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung (DJKS), Link: https://www.dkjs.de/wir-brauchen-transparenz-offenheit-und-klare-spielregeln/, publication 28.01.2025, call: 29.01.2025

Interview for the article Grünewald, I. (2025). Learning with and despite AI. c't Special, (2), p. 38-43

Radau, Jakob/Maibaum, Miriam/Weßels, Doris: "Multiperspektivische Betrachtung problematischer KI-Handreichungen an deutschen Hochschulen - die Sichtweise der Studierenden", blog post for the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, Link: https://hochschulforumdigitalisierung.de/multiperspektivische-betrachtung-problematischer-ki-handreichungen/, Publication: 27.02.2025, Call: 27.02.2025

Quoted in: Universities must increase AI fitness, online: https://www.forschung-und-lehre.de/schwerpunkt/kuenstliche-intelligenz, publication 14.03.2025, call: 14.03.2025

Blog post by HAW Kiel on 2.04.2025 on the topic: "Boosting the start-up process with AI", link to the post: https://www.haw-kiel.de/news/mit-ki-den-gruendungsprozess-boostern/

Interview for Die Rheinpfalz, link to article: How German universities are dealing with AI - Buisness - DIE RHEINPFALZ, published on 10.04.2025

Quoted in the City of Vienna's blog post on the AI expert pool with a review 2024: https: //digitales.wien.gv.at/ai-expertinnen-pool-rueckblick-2024/, call: 16.04.2025

Interview on the topic of "Online compulsion? "Digital Only" despite digitally disconnected population groups" for heise.de: https://www.heise.de/hintergrund/Interview-Digital-Only-koennte-insbesondere-aeltere-Frauen-unter-Druck-setzen-10358149.html, published on 24.04.2025

Quoted in the Professional Briefing of Bildung.Table, #344 / June 04, 2025, on the topic "Divided response to Bavaria's backtracking on introducing tablets only from grade 8"

Quoted in the Professional Briefing of Bildung.Table, #345 / June 06, 2025, on the topic "NRW: Microsoft gives money for AI training for teachers"

Quoted in: "Write like a 15-year-old!", ZEIT No. 25/2025 from June 11, 2025

Quoted in: Article in Tagesspiegel https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/computer-schreib-mir-meine-forschungsarbeit-wie-hilfreich-ki-sein-kann-und-wobei-sie-schadet-13885888.html, and THE WIARDA blog on the topic of "AI is already changing the way we think", online: https: //www.jmwiarda.de/blog/2025/06/23/ki-veraendert-schon-jetzt-wie-wir-denken, publication and call: 23.06.2025

Tooltip in the Handelsblatt AI briefing<ki.briefing(at)redaktion.handelsblatt.com> from 25.07.2025 on the topic of NotebookLM from Google

Article for TABLE.BRIEFINGS Table.Standpunkt | KI in der Schule on the topic of AI detectors in the Areas of Education: https://table.media/bildung/tablestandpunkt/verbietet-endlich-ki-detektoren-in-schulen-und-hochschulen, published on 08.08.2025

Interview for the Trendmonitor AI in Education, Deutsche Telekom Stiftung, Link: https://www.telekom-stiftung.de/aktivitaeten/trendmonitor-ki-der-bildung, publication and call: 11.09.2025, see also the article https://www.news4teachers.de/2025/09/die-schulen-duerfen-den-anschluss-nicht-verpassen-experten-mahnen-entschlossenen-ki-einsatz-an-und-beschreiben-riesige-chancen/ from 15.09.2025, call: 16.09.2025

Weßels, Doris: Academic writing as an educational goal at universities: A victim of ChatGPT and Co. AKWI 2025. DOI: 10.18420/AKWI2025_20. Bonn: Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.. PISSN: 2944-7682. p. 185-192. thesis paper. Kiel, Germany. 09.-11.09.2025

Statement as an expert for the meeting of the Enquete Commission IV "AI in the Classroom" of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia on September 11, 2025: https://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/dokumentenarchiv/Dokument/MMST18-2788.pdf, submitted on 29.08.2025

Interview for SHZ article: School and new technologiesLearning crisis with artificial intelligence? How AI can positively change learning, by Gerd Schild, published on 26.09.2025, Link: https://www.shz.de/deutschland-welt/schleswig-holstein/artikel/bildung-und-ki-chancen-und-herausforderungen-fuer-schulalltag-49314179, call: 26.09.2025

Interview for the NDR report: AI in schools: Will ChatGPT make homework superfluous?| ndr.de, online report, radio report and television report NDR-Regional, published on 1.10.2025

Interview for the podcast WDR 5 Quarks - Gute Seiten und Grenzen des Abkupferns, published on 8.10.2025, Link: SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/N02Fga6Qm0NrB6WF4b

Aumüller, Ulrike/Meyer, Eike/Weßels, Doris: The role of AI bots in science today and tomorrow: From assistant to (uncontrollable) dominator?, in: Schäffer, B./Lieder, F. R. (eds.): Machines like us? Wie Künstliche Intelligenz Bildung, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft herausfordert, pp. 191-209, Springer Nature 2025, eBook ISBN 978-3-658-48522-1, Print ISBN 978-3-658-48521-4, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-48522-1_9

Weßels, Doris/Bils, Annabell/Budde, Jannica: "Wissenschaftliche Abschlussarbeiten im KI-Zeitalter. Disruption, challenges and new assessment approaches", DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 38 / OCTOBER 2025, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung, published on 21.10.2025, Link: https://hochschulforumdigitalisierung.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/HFD_DP_38_wissenschaftliche_Abschlussarbeiten_im_KI-Zeitalter.pdf, call: 10/21/2025

Interview for the Tagesspiegel, title: Education researcher on the AI skills of teachers: "Two worlds collide", Link: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/bildungsforscherin-uber-die-ki-kompetenz-von-lehrern-wenn-ihr-euch-nicht-anstrengt-seid-ihr-raus-14581112.html, published on 22.10.2025, call: 23.10.2025

Weßels, Doris: The new age of generative AI: Impulses and challenges for university teaching of German as a foreign language in Japan, in: LeRuBri Zeitschrift für Lehrende in Japan ISSN 2758-2620, No. 62, October 2025, pp. 7-12, link to the issue: https://lerubri.idl-japan.org/62, call: 22.11.2025

Quoted in: DIE ZEIT - Deutschland from 27.11.2025, page 38 / Wissen, Hochschule, Rudi Novotny: "Klar, aber fair".

Quoted in series F.A.Z. PRO Digitalwirtschaft Briefing and on FAZ.NET on AI skills, November 2025, Part 1: AI skills: What really matters on the job, published on 12.11.2025, link: https://www.faz.net/pro/digitalwirtschaft/zukunft-der-arbeit/ki-kompetenzen-worauf-es-im-job-wirklich-ankommt-accg-110768933.html, Part 2: AI skills: How companies need to train now for the future, published on 21.11.2025, Link: https://www.faz.net/pro/digitalwirtschaft/zukunft-der-arbeit/ki-kompetenz-wie-unternehmen-ihre-mitarbeiter-fuer-die-zukunft-schulen-accg-200237965.html Views: 27.11.2025

Interview Deutschlandfunk Campus & Karriere "Three years of ChatGPT, broadcast date 1.12.2025, follow-up to the interview from 30.11.2023: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/ein-jahr-chatgpt-ist-ki-im-klassenzimmer-angekommen-int-prof-doris-wessels-dlf-70e89474-100.html

Quoted in: Gerd Schild: "Künstliche Intelligenz in der Schule - Stehen wir vor dem Ende des Lernens?", PUBLIK-FORUM 23/2025, p. 22-26, Publik-Forum Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, link to the website: www.publik-forum.de/Publik-Forum-23-2025/stehen-wir-vor-dem-ende-des-lernens of the Publik-Forum website, call: 7.12.2025

FAZ AI podcast on the topic of AI and education/university with Prof. Dr. Holger Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Peter Buxmann, planned for early 2026

ZWM column "Innovations in science management" on the topic of research agent systems, planned for Feb. 2026

Selection of some lectures/workshops/panel participations in fall 2025:

AI keynote lecture and discussion on the topic: "What does the future of theses look like in the age of AI?", Helmut Schmidt University - University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, 24.10.2025
AI impulse lecture "Transformative power of AI in the Areas of Education" and discussion for school management teams in the module series "Leadership in digital times" for Module II, Ministry of General and Vocational Education, Science, Research and Culture Schleswig-Holstein, Rendsburg, 16.10.2025
AI lecture on the topic: "(Multi-)AI agent systems in educational processes: On the way to team teaching 2.0" and intensive workshop, TU Dortmund University, English/American Studies Dortmund, 14.10.2025
Keynote on "Academic writing as an educational goal at universities: A victim of ChatGPT and Co.?", Workshop "KI-Schreibwerkstatt", 38th Annual Conference of the Arbeitskreis Business IT an Hochschulen für Angewandte Wissenschaften (AKWI), HAW Kiel, 10.09.2025, Website: https: //www.haw-kiel.de/fachbereiche/wirtschaft/akwi-jahrestagung-2025/
Highlight lecture on "AI & Project Management - From Hype to Practice", 34th IPMA World Congress 2025 "Shaping The Future With Project Management", Berlin, 18.09.2025, Link: www.worldcongress-ipma.com
TIME for [EDUCATION]: Zukunft des Wissens: Wie verändert KI die Hochschule?, https://zeitfuerx.de/events/zeit-fuer-bildung-2025/, 20.11.2025 Berlin - Moderator World Café: "KI und Karriere: How are universities preparing students for the AI world of work?"
AI lecture: "Strong roots, new paths: Shaping the future of SMEs in Schleswig-Holstein with artificial intelligence", for the SME forum of the Sparkassen- und Giroverband SH, Holstenhalle Neumünster, 24.09.2025
Keynote on the topic "From today to tomorrow: AI technologies as a game changer in healthcare?", Annual Conference of the AGDT, Fulda University of Applied Sciences, 27.09.2025
AI lecture (online) on the topic: "AI as a new team member? With AI competence models and agent systems for administrative modernization" for the general meeting of the Studieninstitute NRW and the Sparkassenakademie NRW, 30.09.2025
Keynote (online) on the topic: "From disruption to innovation - teaching and learning in the age of omnipresent AI", university course "AI in IT teaching in vocational education" at the University of Teacher Education Tyrol, Innsbruck, 1.10.2025
AI workshop for school management teams in the module series "Leadership in digital times" for Module IV, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Science, Research and Culture Schleswig-Holstein, Anscharcampus Kiel, 2.10.2025
AI lecture (online) on the use of AI in teaching, Studieninstitut kommunale Verwaltung Hagen, 7.10.2025
AI lecture on the topic "AI - Skills - Careers: School in transition for the working world of tomorrow", annual conference SCHULEWIRTSCHAFT SH, Bildungszentrum Tannenfelde, 10.10.2025
AI lecture on the topic: "(Multi-)AI agent systems in educational processes: On the way to team teaching 2.0" and intensive workshop, TU Dortmund University, English/American Studies Dortmund, 14.10.2025
AI keynote speech and discussion on the topic: "What does the future of theses look like in the age of AI?", Helmut Schmidt University - University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, 24.10.2025
AI lecture on the topic "From disruption to innovation - school education in the age of omnipresent AI", DABel symposium (cooperation event of the City of Kassel, the University of Kassel and the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of Hesse), 29.10.2025, Kassel
Keynote on the topic "KI macht Schule: Heute, morgen und übermorgen"
KI-Summit - App Camps und fobizz, Berlin, 7.11.2025, Link to the recording of the keynote: https: //appcamps.de/ki-summit-fuer-lehrkraefte-2025/
Keynote speech at the 1st Open Agentathon of the Future Lab Generative AI, 17.11.2025, see link to the announcement: https: //www.linkedin.com/posts/zgki_ki-generativeai-aiagents-activity-7388539578305028096-OFiA
Dinner talk with Rudolf Novotny on the topic of AI in university teaching and moderation of the World Café: "KI und Karriere: How are universities preparing students for the AI world of work?", ZEIT für [BILDUNG] university conference: Future of knowledge: How is AI changing the university?", zeitfuerx.de/events/zeit-fuer-bildung-2025/, 20.11.2025 Berlin
Interview Deutschlandfunk on 3 years of ChatGPT at school: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/drei-jahre-chatgpt-wie-ki-schule-veraendert-interview-prof-doris-wessels-100.html, 1.12.2025

Current research focus and activities:

AI Application Center Schleswig-Holstein (KIAZ, KI.SH) with duration 01.07.2023 to 31.12.2028: Sub-project Future Lab Generative AI, https://kuenstliche-intelligenz.sh/de/zukunftslabor-generative-ki, see also press release from 10.05.2023: https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/landesregierung/ministerien-behoerden/III/Presse/PI/2023/Mai/20230509_KI_Zentrum.html, link to the website: https: //www.haw-kiel-gmbh.de/de/ki-anwendungszentrum.html, see also the interview from 24.01.2024: www.diwish.de/newsarchiv/zukunftstechnologie-ki-in-schleswig-holstein-chancen-fuer-kmus-mit-dem-ai-readiness-assessment.html
AI funding project: AI2Entrepreneur - AI-Assisted Entrepreneurship Education and Development (1.04.2023-31.03.2025, application number: 220 23009), see the report on the handover of the funding decision on 24.08.2023: https://www.haw-kiel.de/news/mit-ki-leichter-gruenden/, call: 25.08.2023, see the report from the AI Hub SH: https://kuenstliche-intelligenz.sh/de/2023-08-31_ai2entrepreneur, call: 2.9.2023,
NEW: January 2025: extension and budget increase with project end 31.12.2025: https: //www.haw-kiel-gmbh.de/de/ai2entrepreneur.html

AI-supported writing, language models and implications of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the Areas of Education and Buisness - see my list of publications and presentations

Foundation of the Virtual AI Competence Center on 1.09.2022: https://www.vkkiwa.de/ - KÜNSTLICHE INTELLIGENZ UND WISSENSCHAFTLICHES ARBEITEN - SCHREIBEN LEHREN UND LERNEN MIT KI - TOOLS UND TECHNIKEN FÜR BILDUNG UND WISSENSCHAFT, renamed in November 2025: "Virtuelles Kompetenzzentrum: Künstliche Intelligenz in Bildung, Wissenschaft und Arbeitswelt" (VK:KIWA)
Start 5.11.2021 - Funding project: The academic writing of students in the age of "artificial intelligence": Explorative pilot study at universities in Schleswig-Holstein:https://www.haw-kiel-gmbh.de/de/ki-akademisches-schreiben.html
Initiation and Leadership of the AI ExpertLab "Academic Writing" (from 2021), for clarification: AI ExpertLabs are the do- and think tanks of the AI Campus, Link: https://www.fernuni-hagen.de/bildungswissenschaft/bildung-medien/ki_expertlab.shtml

Further information on the Orcid research platform