Bremen's administration wants to become more digital. The finance department is showing how it's done by awarding scholarships for a part-time degree programme in information law. This is a win-win situation for both employees and the Bremen Finance Department, as it brings expertise directly into the company.
Data protection and digital tenders, software usage or online services - there is hardly an area of digitalisation in which public authorities are not confronted with special legal aspects. E-government is becoming a cross-sectional task in many administrations. In addition, the use of AI is opening up another field that offers great opportunities for the administration, but also requires a clear strategy with regard to data protection issues.
Bremen is clearly committed to the use of AI and the digital transformation in public administration. "To implement digital information processes, we need the expertise of trained specialists, which we are promoting by awarding scholarships, among other things," says Bremen's Senator for Finance Björn Fecker. In this way, Bremen's financial administration secures the training of its own staff with the necessary legal expertise. The study costs are covered and the time required is compensated by time off work. The course is predominantly online, with only one block course at the weekend in each module.
Since 2023, tax inspector Kim Marie Mette and tax inspector Moritz Pinnecke have been studying the Master's degree programme in Information Law (LL.M.) at the University of Oldenburg while working. Bremen's Senator for Finance is supporting the two future Master's graduates because the content of the degree programme is ideal for further training to meet the requirements of a modern administration.
The scholarship holders began their careers at the Bremen authority around ten years ago. Their areas of responsibility include data protection. In their student research projects, the two are now focussing on liability issues relating to the use of software and the new AI regulation. In doing so, they delve deep into specialised legal discussions, which are always linked to specific case studies from practice.
However, legal training is not mandatory for admission to the degree programme. Both scholarship holders have a degree in finance and are expected to have a Master's in Information Law LL.M. in their pockets after five semesters. This will give them a renowned and internationally recognised academic qualification - and the Bremen authority will have two civil servants with proven legal expertise.
Digitalisation and artificial intelligence could be a booster for greater efficiency and effectiveness in public administration, according to the finance senator of the Hanseatic city. Communication channels for citizens are therefore to be expanded and the quality of service significantly improved. This will enable faster processing and shorter processing times, which will both relieve the burden on employees and drive forward the digital transformation of the administration. "We want to help shape these developments," emphasises Fecker. "We are therefore very pleased that we have found an ideal cooperation partner in the University of Oldenburg to provide our employees with further education in information law."
Like the Bremen tax authorities, other authorities from all over Germany have also become aware of the part-time degree programme. These include employees from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the police and state ministries. Not all of them are aiming for a Master's degree - the modules of the degree programme can also be booked individually. This enables targeted further education on specific information law topics. Students who later decide to complete a full Master's degree programme can receive full credit for all successfully completed modules.
More about the degree programme: uol.de/informationsrecht
Contact
Christina Meyer-Truelsen, Dipl.-Oec. (C3L), T +49(0)441 798-3111, E