Developing common learning opportunities through interoperability

Interoperability refers to the ability for partner universities to seamlessly and securely share data across institutional and national boundaries. In this briefing, EUA explores interoperability’s potential to transform cooperation within and beyond the European Universities alliances. 

By allowing diverse systems to talk to each other and share information efficiently, there is the potential among networks of institutions to develop – and expand access to – common learning opportunities. Progress – and the challenges that come with this – are especially apparent within European Universities alliances, where the ambition to establish virtual campuses and scale up mobility have generated impetus in moving towards interoperable systems.

This briefing presents the experiences of practitioners within EUA member universities and looks at some of the more commonly-experienced obstacles – uneven use of data standards, questions around ownership and governance – and considers whether and how the prevailing ‘make it work’ mindset among alliance partners connects to the wider political ambition to make interoperability a reality in Europe. Moreover, beyond the technical elements, it highlights the converging factors that have brought the topic to the forefront of discussion and explores possible scenarios for the evolution of interoperability within and beyond the European Universities alliances.

Developing common learning opportunities through interoperability

Thomas Jorgensen, Clare Phelan, Liliya Kukuruza

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