Published September 18, 2025 | Version v2

White Paper: Bridging the Gap between Industry and Education: Best Practices for the Digital Humanities

  • 1. ROR icon Universidad Complutense de Madrid
  • 2. ROR icon Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure
  • 3. ROR icon KU Leuven
  • 4. CNRS Délégation Paris B
  • 5. Trinity College Dublin
  • 6. ROR icon Universität Trier
  • 7. ROR icon Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
  • 8. ROR icon Herzog August Library
  • 9. ROR icon Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities
  • 10. Faculty of Computer and Information Science, University of Ljubljana
  • 11. ROR icon University of Maribor

Description

This white paper is the result of the study carried out by the Digital Humanities Course Registry Working Group and the DARIAH Community Engagement Working Group funded by the DARIAH Funding Scheme for Working Group Activities 2023-2025.

The rapid pace of technological transformation is disrupting the balance between supply and demand in the job market. A gap has emerged between the skills companies are seeking and the education students receive. To address this mismatch and suggest strategies for bridging it, this white paper presents insights from key stakeholders in the field of Digital Humanities: coordinators of DH programmes and alumni who have already transitioned into the professional world. This white paper outlines their recommendations and best practices to help align Digital Humanities education more closely with industry needs. It offers practical guidance for university decision-makers, DH programme coordinators, students and graduates, employers looking for talent, and research infrastructures. The study that is presented in this white paper was funded by the DARIAH Funding Scheme for Working Group Activities 2023-2025. The project is a joint effort of the Digital Humanities Course Registry Working Group and the DARIAH Community Engagement Working Group, together with many collaborators (see acknowledgements).

Project members (in alphabetical order):

  • Adeline Joffres (member of the JRC-DARIAH-EU, Huma-Num, France)
  • Amelia Sanz (Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; DARIAH Women Writers Working Group)
  • Iulianna van der Lek (Training and Education Officer at CLARIN ERIC, co-chair of the Digital Humanities Course Registry Working Group)
  • Joëlle Weis (University of Trier, Germany; DARIAH Community Engagement Working Group)
  • María Goicoechea de Jorge (Faculty of Philology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; co-chair of the Digital Humanities Course Registry Working Group) 
  • Michael Kurzmeier (University College Cork, Ireland; DARIAH Community Engagement Working Group)
  • Špela Antloga (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, Slovenia; DARIAH Community Engagement Working Group)
  • Tom Gheldof (KU Leuven, Belgium; CLARIAH-VL; DARIAH Sustainable Publishing of Metadata Working Group)
  • Vicky Garnett (Training and Education Officer at DARIAH-EU)

Files

White Paper_Bridging the Gap between Industry and Education-Best Practices for the Digital Humanities_v2.pdf