University autonomy, threatened by EU data protection regulation?

Institucional The digital architecture of universities is increasingly dependent on dominant platforms of private companies. At the same time, it is unclear how universities are affected by the European data legislation which is currently under debate. The rectors of the institutions that build up the League of European Research Universities ( LERU ) have approved a declaration that raises the need to recognize the importance of public data, its governance and access, and addresses the stakeholders involved: legislators, digital providers, universities and industry. Data is the fuel that drives the development of the economy, academia and societies around the world. In this context, universities have an important role to play. They are the guardians of a common culture of knowledge and an agent of new knowledge. However, they are becoming increasingly dependent on dominant platform companies, which have become the driving force behind the design of public universities' learning and teaching environments.