About

What is git.nrw?

Purpose and concept

The git.nrw project aims to develop a service concept with training and further education programmes as well as the operation of a central GitLab instance across NRW. As part of this project, the technical, organisational and content-related prerequisites will be created and a sustainable concept developed in order to establish the central GitLab instance as a service for the universities in the DH.NRW and their cooperation partners. This will support cross-institutional software development, research data management (RDM), (research) project management and teaching.

The importance of digital collaboration

In an increasingly digitalised world, it is essential that universities and their members can work together efficiently. git.nrw was created to provide a central platform that facilitates the exchange of code and ideas between developers, students and teachers. Our main goal is to strengthen innovation in the region and provide access to modern development tools. In this way, we contribute to strengthening the digital sovereignty of the university landscape in NRW.

Technological basis: GitLab

The git.nrw project is based on the established version control system GitLab. The all-in-one DevOps platform enables teams to make software development processes more efficient, transparent and agile and to work on projects together. Functions such as version control, issue tracking, wikis and integration with other tools, help to improve the quality of scientific work, not only in science and research but also in personal data management. Integrated tools include CI/CD pipelines, for example, which ensure automated testing and rapid deployment without manual intervention.

Strengthening software development in NRW

git.nrw not only strengthens software development in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also creates a dynamic network that drives innovation. There are already many local GitLab instances that are often maintained by individual chairs or individuals. Such local GitLab instances may offer more protection in terms of data security but only allow limited cooperative work across institutional boundaries and are generally neither secure nor sustainable. The centrally operated GitLab instance provides a much-needed alternative by offering broader, connected user bases more comprehensive cooperation opportunities and ensuring stable, long-term operation.

Training programmes

In addition to providing the platform, a training concept is being developed that covers both the different target groups and the use cases developed in the project. The training content will be provided for self-learning and in workshops. A ‘train-the-trainer’ concept is also being developed so that the materials can also be made available at the individual universities. All interested parties are cordially invited to actively participate in the development and design of these training programmes.

Who is part of the git.nrw project?

The git.nrw project is a cooperation project of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and is jointly implemented by five universities. This co-operation creates a strong network that promotes the exchange of knowledge and experience and drives the development of joint solutions. The diversity of the participating institutions contributes to the fact that different perspectives and expertise flow into the project, creating a comprehensive and sustainable range of services for all university members.

What is GitLab?

GitLab is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration on software projects. GitLab sees itself as a complete software lifecycle platform and is generally used for versioning, managing, and publishing software code and data. In particular, software development-oriented working groups use GitLab as an alternative to the commercial cloud solution GitHub. The functionalities that GitLab offers can be used in many other processes in research, teaching, and IT operations. Some exemplary use cases are:

• Students for software development and personal data management, e.g., for theses or collaboration in courses
• Teachers for organizing or conducting courses
• Researchers for RDM or research project management
• Staff in university administration or university IT for the operation or further development of central IT systems