Digital University as an Innovative Socio-Technical System

Abstract

Introduction. Digital technologies have been driving a radical transformation of higher education, leading universities to evolve into innovative ecosystems. The study of the digital university phenomenon has become particularly relevant in the context of the globalization of the educational landscape. The integration of digital technologies into educational processes has not only changed methods of learning and interaction but has also transformed the very nature of the university.Problem Statement. Existing approaches to defining a digital university are diverse but do not fully capture its essence as a complex socio-technical system that integrates technological, pedagogical, and social components. The need to develop a unified conceptual framework that encompasses all dimensions of digital transformation in education has remained an urgent research challenge.Purpose. The purpose of this study has been to develop a conceptualization of the digital universityas an innovative socio-technical system that drives a fundamental transformation of the educationalprocess and ensures its alignment with contemporary challenges and global trends.Materials and Methods. Th e study has been based on systems analysis and synthesis of existing approaches to interpreting the digital university, as well as on structural modeling of its organization as asocio-technical system with the integrative role of a digital platform. In addition, generalization and comparative analysis of international practices in the digitalization of higher education have been conducted,with particular attention to cloud services, learning analytics, and the application of artifi cial intelligence.Results. It has been established that a digital university functions as an integrated socio-technicalsystem in which the technical subsystem (infrastructure, platforms, digital resources, and intelligenttechnologies) is combined with the social subsystem (participants, organizational practices, and competencies). It has been demonstrated that the eff ectiveness of digital transformation has been determinedby the balanced development of technology, content, and human competencies, whereas imbalances havereduced innovation potential and overall performance. It has been substantiated that cloud solutions, analytical platforms, and AI-based tools have supported the personalization of educational trajectories, increased accessibility of services, and enabled new models of interaction within educational and managerial processes.Conclusions. Th e digital university has been conceptualized as a new paradigm for organizing educational andscientifi c space, providing platform-based integration of processes and enabling individualized learning through datadriven and intelligent technologies. Future research should focus on assessing the long-term impact of digital transformation on educational outcomes and the development of key student competencies, while also addressing risks relatedto ethics, data security, and academic integrity.