At the university since
- September, 2025
Focus on teaching
- Educational management and leadership in higher education
- Lifelong learning and professional development
- Future Skills and capability-oriented education
- Digital transformation in teaching and learning
- Quality management, assessment and innovative examination formats
- Learning design and educational innovation
- Cooperative higher education and dual study programmes
- Mindful leadership, systemic coaching and non-violent communication
Modules
- Educational Management & Leadership
- Lifelong Learning & Professional Development
- Digital Transformation in Higher Education
- Quality Management and Innovation in Learning
- Future Skills & Capability-Oriented Curriculum Design
- Research Methods in Higher and Continuing Education
Research interests and fields
Prof. Dr. Ulf-Daniel Ehlers is happy to supervise BA, MA and PhD theses in the following areas:
- Future Skills, capability-oriented education and competence development
- Digital transformation of higher education institutions and study programmes
- Quality development and quality cultures in (digital) learning
- Lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development
- Cooperative education, dual study programmes and work-based learning
- Microcredentials, new formats of recognition and flexible learning pathways
- Governance, leadership and change management in higher education
- Innovative assessment and examination cultures in the age of AI
Academic training and further education
- Habilitation (Dr. phil. habil.) in Educational Sciences (Adult and Continuing Education), University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany (2008) with work on develoing a quality theory for education.
- PhD in Education (Dr. phil.), University of Bielefeld, Germany (2004),
thesis on learner-centred and pedagogical quality research perspectives in e-learning (summa cum laude) - Degree in Social and Political Sciences, English Literature, Pedagogy, First State Examination for Secondary School Teaching (English, Social Sciences, Education),
University of Bielefeld, Germany (1999) - Postgraduate training in research methods and research management
(cluster analysis, qualitative methods, survey design, research management, biografic and narrative interview) - Certified systemic coach and facilitator
- Trainer in mindful and non-violent communication
Practical experience
- Professor of Educational Management and Lifelong Learning
- Senior Advisor for Digital Transformation in Teaching and Learning, Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW), Germany (since 2017)
- Founding Vice-President for Quality and Teaching, Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) (2011–2017),
responsible for the development of Germany’s first cooperative university, quality management,
systems accreditation and learning innovation - Founder and Head of the NextEducation Research Group (since 2017),
focusing on digital transformation, Future Skills and educational innovation - Scientific Director, Future Learning Laboratory / House of Competence, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany (2020–2023)
- Serial social entrepreneur, founder of five social businesses in education innovation and technology
- Professor of Media Didactics (ad interim), University of Augsburg, Germany (2010)
- Associate Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany (2008–2011)
- Associate Professor, University of Maryland University College (UMUC), USA (2007–2009), Graduate School of Management & Technology, Master of Distance Education
- Founder and President (2011–2014) of the European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning (EFQUEL), Belgium
- Founder and Member of the Executive Board oft he Future Skills Alliance g.e.V.
Prof. Ehlers has worked with more than 30 universities across all five continents and advises ministries, international organisations and higher education institutions on educational innovation, reform strategy, quality and digital transformation.
Leadership roles, boards and professional service
- Founding Vice-President Baden Wurttemberg Cooperative State University
- Vice-President, European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE)
- Director and Member of the Executive Committee, European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN);
- EDEN Fellow and Senior Fellow
- Founding President and former Vice-President, European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning (EFQUEL)
- President Society for Media in Science (GMW e.V.), Germany (2008-2011)
- Member of the Advisory Board for the European Ranking Initiative U-Multirank (European Commission)
- Co-Chair of the interministerial Advisory Group for Teaching and Learning for the Bologna Ministers Conference (2018-2021)
- Member of several national and international advisory boards on higher education, quality and digital learning
Awards
- Multiple Comenius Awards and Medals for innovative digital learning and assessment solutions
- Emerald International Excellence Award – Outstanding Paper (2010)
- EDEN Best Paper Award (2004) and several nominations as Best Paper Award finalist
- Senior Fellow of the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN)
- Various national and international recognitions for quality and innovation in higher education
Fellowships and Grants
- ‘Principal investigator and coordinator of more than 50 European and national R&D projects on innovation in learning, quality in e-learning, Future Skills and digital transformation
- More than 20 Mio € Research funding from European Union programmes and German national funding bodies since 2000
- International advisory and expert roles for organisations such as World Bank, OECD, UNESCO, EU, and various national ministries of education
Publications
- Prof. Ehlers is a prolific author and editor with:
- more than 17 authored or edited books, including influential works on Future Skills, quality in e-learning and digital transformation in higher education
- over 300 scholarly articles, book chapters and reports
- more than 7,500 academic citations
- His book Future Skills and his internationally recognised Learners’ Quality Model for e-learning have shaped discourse and practice in learner-centred quality and capability-oriented education. A regularly updated list of publications is available via the NextEducation website. www.next-education.org
