The challenge
Like many educational institutions, The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) is adapting to the rapid rise of Generative AI. LLM models such as GPT, Claude, Gemini, and others, are widely used by students, while staff and faculty also see potential to apply AI in their daily work. Yet without a formal policy or strategy, usage was fragmented and lacked clear guidelines around ethical and appropriate application. THUAS recognized the need for a consistent and future-proof approach to ensure transparent, ethical use of GenAI. To identify the most promising use cases and define a strategy for implementation, the university reached out to our experts.
The approach
In collaboration with THUAS, we set out to answer three key questions: which use cases add real value to students and faculty, what architecture is needed to support them, and how can these be rolled out in a scalable and efficient way?
Over ten weeks, the joint project team conducted interviews, workshops, technical assessments and collaborative design sessions. The sessions included members from faculty, researchers, IT architects, privacy officers, support staff, and students. To ground the findings in daily practice, four personas were developed, each with their own pain points and opportunities for AI support. These personas represented the key stakeholders at the university – teachers, researchers, students, and support staff.
"With a clear strategy, aligned use cases, and the right platform choices, the university is well positioned to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in education and research."
By capturing their concrete needs, the project anchored the AI strategy in what matters most to the institution. This process resulted in 26 concrete use cases across teaching, research, student support and administration. Examples ranged from AI tutors aligned with course content, to writing support for researchers and tools that help teachers design interactive learning materials. A follow-up workshop with stakeholders prioritized the use cases by value and feasibility, highlighting immediate pilots such as a secure internal GPT-style assistant for students, an AI-powered writing coach, and a chatbot to streamline internal approval processes.
Building on the prioritized use cases, Eraneos assessed the technical and organizational capabilities needed to realize them. Since THUAS was already experimenting with Microsoft Azure’s AI suite and a sector-specific GPT platform on Dutch infrastructure, both options were evaluated against those needs, focusing on maturity, privacy, security, compliance, and integration. The outcome was a value-driven hybrid strategy: keep leveraging the GPT platform where effective, while expanding scalable capabilities on Azure Machine Learning Studio.
The result
At the end of the ten-week engagement, THUAS received:
- An AI readiness assessment – our team made a holistic evaluation of the university’s AI maturity, identifying key gaps and opportunities
- A prioritized portfolio of 26 AI use cases – each directly linked to stakeholder needs and translated into required technical capabilities and organizational enablers
- Stakeholder personas – pain points and opportunities mapped across students, staff, teachers, and researchers
- A clear platform strategy and high-level architecture
- An outline of required skills, governance structures, and implementation roadmap to enable scalable AI adoption
By taking a pragmatic, stakeholder-driven approach, Eraneos helped THUAS take an important step forward in shaping its AI journey. With a clear strategy, aligned use cases, and the right platform choices, the university is well positioned to integrate AI responsibly and effectively in education and research.
About the client
The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) is a leading Dutch institution with over 70 Bachelor’s and 20 postgraduate programs across business, technology and health. Around 26,000 students from more than 140 countries study here, drawn by its international outlook and emphasis on practical, problem-solving education. Located in the heart of The Hague, THUAS combines innovation, diversity and a strong connection to real-world challenges.