Prof. Dr. Doris Weßels

Doris Weßels is a business IT specialist and taught at HAW Kiel until February 28, 2025, with a focus on project management and natural language processing. You can still reach her at doris.wessels@haw-kiel.de.

Current projects and activities:

  • Since March 1, 2025: Scientific Director at the Schleswig-Holstein AI Application Center for the Generative AI Future Lab at the FuE-Zentrum FH Kiel GmbH
  • Since April 1, 2023: Initiator and Director of the AI funding project “AI2Entrepreneur – AI-Assisted Entrepreneurship Education and Development”
  • Since September 1, 2022: Co-founder and member of the core team of the Virtual Competence Center “Artificial Intelligence in Education, Science & the Workplace” (https://www.vkkiwa.de/)

Since 2018, her research has focused on developments in the field of natural language processing and their implications for Areas of Education.

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

As part of the Schleswig-Holstein AI Application Center, she initiated and established the Generative AI Future Lab at the R&D Research Center of Kiel University of Applied Sciences (HAW Kiel). Together with her team, she oversees a wide range of AI projects in business, science, and education.

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

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

  • Member of the AI-SKILLS Scientific Advisory Board at Humboldt University of Berlin starting in July 2023; link to the project website: https://ai-skills.hu-berlin.de/
  • Member of the Advisory Board of AI-Campus 2.0: 2023–2025
  • Member of the Schleswig-Holstein AI Expert Council starting in February 2024
  • Member of the City of Vienna’s AI Expert Council (AI Expert Pool) starting in 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, starting in November 2024
  • Member of the “AI in Higher Education” task force within the Alliance for Future Skills as part of the Stifterverband’s “Future Mission: Education” initiative, starting in January 2025
  • Member of the Advisory Board on “Artificial Intelligence in Areas of Education” at Cornelsen Verlag GmbH, starting in March 2025
  • Member of the Expert Council for the “AI in Education” Trend Monitoring initiative of the Telekom Foundation: https://www.telekom-stiftung.de/aktivitaeten/trendmonitor-ki-der-bildung – starting in March 2025
  • Member of the Expert Advisory Board for the Digital and Innovation Hub at Euro HAW Hamburg —starting in March 2025
  • Juror for the NDR Nonfiction Book Prize – starting in July 2025
  • Member of the Advisory Board for the EU-funded project “Teacher Academy: AI2PI—From Artificial Intelligence to Pedagogical Innovation,” with Humboldt University of Berlin as lead partner—starting April 2025
  • Member of the Sounding Board at VDI Wissensforum GmbH – starting April 2026
  • Member of the Board of Trustees at Euro-FH —starting May 4, 2026
  • Member of the AI Board of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education —starting in September 2026
  • Member of the Quality Management Advisory Board at Bielefeld University— starting in fall 2026

Current Awards:

2024 and again in 2025: Recognized as one of the Top 10 Leaders in the Science category of the German-speaking education scene by the Bildung-Table editorial team:

Doris Weßels

Director of the Generative AI Future Lab in Schleswig-Holstein

"Hardly anyone can assess the impact of artificial intelligence on schools and universities as accurately as Doris Weßels. She recognized the potential and the transformative power of language models even before the ChatGPT hype and has since organized the first ‘Agentathon’ with the Kiel Future Lab for Generative AI (ZGKI)—an evolution of hackathons in the era of AI agents. The ZGKI is a research project of the state of Schleswig-Holstein aimed at promoting business and startup processes with the support of AI. Previously, Weßels worked at Kiel University of Applied Sciences for more than 16 years, most recently as a professor of Business IT. Her goal is to help shape the future of education in the AI era with a spirit of experimentation, a sense of responsibility, and courage."

Announcement link, Dec. 10, 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, accessed: December 11, 2025

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

  1. since 1.03.2025: Scientific Director at the AI Application Center Schleswig-Holstein for the Future Lab Generative AI at FuE-Zentrum FH Kiel GmbH
  2. since 1.04.2023: Initiator and head of the AI funding project "AI2Entrepreneur - AI-Assisted Entrepreneurship Education and Development"
  3. since 1.09.2022: Co-founder and member of the core team of the Virtual Competence Center "Artificial Intelligence in Education, Science & the World of Work" (https://www.vkkiwa.de/)

Latest news in the areas of press, interviews, blog posts, podcasts, guest posts, and publications (selected examples only; starting in January 2026):

Selection of Selected Lectures/Workshops/Panel Participations—Excerpts from 2026 Onward

  • Keynote presentation on the topic “Between Cheating and Opportunities: Teaching and Testing Despite/With AI,” AI Day at the University of Hildesheim, January 15, 2026
  • Presentation (online) on the topic: “Between Vision and Responsibility: How AI Is Changing School Education,” as part of “Vision Schule,” Lower Saxony State Institute for School Quality Development on behalf of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, February 18, 2026
  • Keynote presentation (online) on the topic “AI Literacy for Students,” Newly Appointed Faculty at Hessian Universities, Technical University of Central Hesse, Giessen—Center for Cooperative Teaching and Learning (ZekoLL), February 19, 2026
  • AI keynote presentation on “The Transformative Power of AI in Areas of Education” and discussion for school administration teams as part of the “Leadership in the Digital Age” module series, Ministry of General and Vocational Education, Science, Research, and Culture of Schleswig-Holstein, February 25, 2026
  • Keynote address on “I’m Building My Own New AI Learning World: Just a Dream, or Already a Reality Today?” and workshop on “Academic Work in Schools: Opportunities and Challenges in the Age of AI” (working title) for the 2026 School Media Day, Lower Saxony State Institute for School Quality Development (NLQ), Celle, March 4, 2026
  • Keynote (online) on the topic “Next Level Teaching and Learning: How Generative AI Is Shaping the Future of Education,” Pedagogical Institute – Center for Municipal Education Management (PIZKB), Media Education, City of Munich, March 5, 2026
  • Keynote presentation (online) on the topic “From Co-Creation to Co-Teaching: Generative AI as a Catalyst for Future-Oriented Higher Education,” IHF Talk Series, Bavarian State Institute for Higher Education Research and Planning, March 16, 2026
  • Keynote presentation (online) on the topic: “How Chatti, Telli, and Co. Are Changing School Education,” Club of Rome School Network, March 17, 2026
  • Workshop on the topic “Written Student Research Projects in the AI Stress Test: New Insights for Assignment Design in AI-Integrated Higher Education” and panel discussion, AI Day at Münster University of Applied Sciences, March 19, 2026
  • Presentation on the topic “How AI Is Changing School Education: From Today to Tomorrow” at the 2026 SH Parents’ Conference “New Beginnings—and Plenty of Them: How Parents Can Support Their Children in Times of Change,” Katharineum in Lübeck, March 21, 2026
  • Online keynote on AI and educational research, title: “Generative AI in Higher Education—An Overview,” Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research (ZLB UR), University of Rostock, March 23, 2026
  • Online presentation on “The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Language Instruction: Opportunities and Risks in Teaching Intercultural (Communicative) Competence,” Center for School Quality and Teacher Education, Karlsruhe Regional Office, Baden-Württemberg, March 24, 2026
  • Keynote (online) on the topic: “AI Is Revolutionizing School Education—Are We Ready for Tomorrow?”, Symposium “AI in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania—Schools, Instruction, and Leadership 2026,” Ministry of Education and Childcare of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Institute for Quality Development (IQ M-V), University of Rostock, March 24, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic “The New Era of Education: How Generative AI Is Truly Changing Things for Teachers and Learners,” Bildungshub Kärnten, Klagenfurt, April 13, 2026
  • Keynote: “AI—Between Driver and Enabler: What Matters, What Endures, and What’s Next for Competency Development at Universities?”, Teaching Day, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences in Villach, April 14, 2026
  • Presentation: “When Your AI Research Agent Turns You into a Turbo-Researcher: From the Status Quo to the Future of Agent-Based Research Support,” presentation for the AI-Profs-SH Network, Kiel Science Center, April 16, 2026, see the following coverage: https://kuenstliche-intelligenz.sh/de/4-ki-profs-netzwerktreffen-generative-ki-in-wissenschaft-und-forschung, accessed April 30, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic: “AI Agents at the Doorstep: Higher Education Under the AI Stress Test” and participation in a panel discussion at the university-wide event on AI in Studies and Teaching (KI:SL) at the University of Göttingen, April 21, 2026
  • Meetup at re:publica 2026 together with Claudia Jahnke: “Goodbye to Project Management? How AI Systems Are Changing Project Management. The Experiment,” Berlin, May 19, 2026
  • Keynote presentation (online) on the topic “From Chatbots to AI Agents: Education in Transition”
    for the City of Vienna’s digital education strategy in my capacity as a member of the City of Vienna’s AI Expert Pool, Vienna, May 28, 2026
  • Presentation on the topic “Who’s Leading Whom Here? – The Essential New Skills for Working with AI” for the lecture series “Science and Alternative Facts XVIII,” Prof. Dr. Bonitz, CAU Kiel, May 28, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic: “Generative AI as a Driver of Transformation: New Skilling for Future-Oriented Higher Education,” HAW Hamburg, Faculty of Management, Governance, and Media, June 10, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic: “Vocational Education in the AI Era. What Skills Do Learners and Vocational Schools Need Now?”, plus a panel discussion at the symposium “Rethinking Vocational Education – Together. Digital. With AI” – PAKT2026, Hamburg, June 11, 2026
  • Online keynote on the topic: “The Arrival of AI Agents: Benefit or Threat to Educational Processes?”, VK:KIWA Barcamp, June 12, 2026
  • Online keynote on the topic “Tradition Meets Transformation: Higher Education Institutions Under the AI Stress Test” for the “Practical Forum on Learning & Teaching in the Age of AI,” Bochum University of Applied Sciences, June 16, 2026
  • Online keynote on the topic “Trained and Done? AI Agents as Catalysts for Tomorrow’s Higher Education,” Teaching Day at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, June 16, 2026
  • Online presentation on “AI Agents and the Leadership Role of the Future: AI Leadership and New Skilling in Higher Education,” AI Week at the University of Duisburg-Essen, June 18, 2026
  • Session at the Waterkant Festival 2026: Weßels, Doris / Hutchinson, Philip (appliedAI Initiative GmbH) / Meyer, Eike J. (Project Manager, Generative AI Future Lab, F&E GmbH Kiel, KI.SH) / Schanze, Martin (Project Associate, Generative AI Future Lab, F&E GmbH Kiel, KI.SH): “Lobster Attack: OpenClaw and the Development of Agent-Based Economies,” Kiel, June 19, 2026
  • Keynote presentation on the future of the digital economy as part of the presentation of the DiWiSH industry study, Kiel, June 15, 2026
  • Session at the UFF University:Future Festival 2026 – Under Pressure: “Academic Theses in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” with Annabell Bils and Jannica Budde, June 22, 2026
  • Presentation and discussion (online) on scenarios for the AI Master Plan for Universities 2030, Future Tech Braunschweig, University Future Festival, June 23, 2026
  • Podcast and interview for ANKER #5, June 2026, Kiel Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK), website link: https://anker.kiel.ihk.de/de/5/im-gespraech-doris-wessels, broadcast: June 29, 2026, Link to the referenced podcast “Are AI Agents the Beginning of a New Era?”: https://www.ihk.de/schleswig-holstein/product-brands/your-ihk/media/kiel/anker-are-ai-agents-the-beginning-of-a-new-era--7006386, published on March 19, 2026
  • AI Lecture (online) on the topic: "The New ABCs in the AI Era: Agents, Bots, and Copilots as New Actors in the Writing Process," lecture series by Prof. Dr. Bettina M. Bock, Institute for German Language and Literature II, University of Cologne, July 8, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic: “AI in Science and Research: From the Status Quo to the Future of Agent-Based Research Support,” VDB-WiWi Subject Specialist Conference, Central Library of Economic Sciences, Kiel, July 9, 2026
  • Keynote on the topic “Toward the Future of Higher Education with AI Agents,” FernUni2026 Symposium on “Avatars, Agents, Androids: New Actors in Higher Education?”, July 14, 2026, at the FernUniversität in Hagen; a joint event organized by the FernUniversität Hagen, the AI Campus Hub NRW, KI:edu.nrw, and the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V.; link to the website: https://fernuni-ki-campus.fernuni-hagen.de/symposium-am-14-7-2026-avatare-agenten-androiden-neue-akteure-in-der-hochschulbildung/, Press release: https://idw-online.de/de/news874713, accessed July 18, 2026
  • PEGA-edu podcast, Episode 24: Key Impulses for Education in the AI Age, Link: https://pega-edu.com/podcast/, published on July 21, 2026, accessed on July 22, 2026
  • Online Lecture on AI in Teaching, Working Title: “AI Agent Systems for Learning, Teaching, and Research,” Summer Academy of the German National Academic Foundation, Working Group “AI in Science,” August 25, 2026
  • Keynote speech on the topic “From Chatty to Agents: New Paths in Higher Education,” IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences – IMC Conference, Krems, September 2, 2026
  • AI keynote presentation on the topic: “Schools Meet the ‘AI Intelligence Explosion’:
    —Embarking on a New World of School Education,” for the conference of the Center for Practical Teacher Training (ZfsL) in Cologne, Cologne, September 3, 2026

Research Focuses, Projects, and Activities: