A Hub member's journey from discovery to advocacy
As co-facilitator of the Hub's Task Force on Interoperability, I'm addressing a challenge on something that began as a technical issue but has become a political priority for European higher education. Student mobility and virtual inter-university campuses are becoming a reality thanks to the European Universities initiative.
Yet without interoperability, these developments create administrative burdens and frustrate students. The challenge is ensuring systems interoperate seamlessly, enabling learners to transition smoothly between institutions. This is how I arrived at this point and why this work matters for all of us.
From technical challenge to transformative potential
When the European University Association began working systematically on digital transformation, the issue of interoperability came up repeatedly as a major challenge for universities. It quickly became clear that universities faced significant challenges in data sharing and both virtual and physical mobility
The deeper I looked, the more fascinating it became. In all the hype we have seen since the advent of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) 15 years ago, this was finally something that had the potential for disruption, and for that reason it was something that needed thorough thinking. It opened doors for learners to have broader access to quality education offers beyond their home institution. It was also a world where universities could develop common courses and offer them to a large number of learners in a way that had not been possible before.
Of course, this future is not a given and the technical foundations are still developing, but it sparked my imagination about the future of higher education.
Working with the Hub community
Later, when I joined the European Digital Education Hub and the Hub's Higher Education Interoperability working group, the focus was very much on the technical details.
The people in the working group were trying to solve day-to-day technical issues. The goal was to create a framework for virtual inter-university campuses that would allow seamless data flows and make student transfers easy between institutions.
At the same time, these were people who were true believers who had a clear vision for the kind of higher education system that they wanted. The group's energy was infectious and inspiring.
Reality check: beyond technical solutions
However, from the point of view of an organisation like the European University Association, which is not necessarily a technical organisation, we needed to understand more how our members were dealing with the whole agenda on interoperability implementation. It turned out that although the work to manage the virtual campus was impressive, the systems could become a lot better. The barriers weren't merely technical. The challenges stemmed from how data were collected for purposes unrelated to mobility and access requiring manual work and excessive email coordination - not something scalable to accommodate Europe’s 20 million higher education learners.
The political dimension
Solving these systemic challenges requires political will, not just technical solutions. I'm now working with fellow task force members on a strategic approach to interoperability. This includes engaging non-technical stakeholders for a vision and a political way forward. We have articulated a vision, and we have given thought to the way forward.
The challenge is navigating the political dimension, which centres on interests, power, narratives and motivations rather than on pure problem-solving. It is a challenge, but bridging worlds is deeply rewarding. I am happy that we are developing a common vision with a strong focus on equitable access and a political way forward in the Hub’s interoperability work group. I am looking forward to the (let’s be realistic) years of work that lie ahead.
Join the conversation
The future of seamless, equitable higher education across Europe depends on collaboration between technical experts, institutional leaders, and policymakers.
Join the European Digital Education Hub to engage with practitioners, policy makers, and researchers shaping the future of digital education: Become a Hub member.
The Hub's Task Force on Interoperability welcomes new members working on these challenges.
Further reading:
- Learn more about the work group and get involved
- Learn more about the European higher education interoperability framework
*e.g. The Higher Education Interoperability Framework (HEIF) is a collection of resources that helps European higher education institutions work together digitally. It provides a common language so different systems can communicate—enabling students to transfer credits, access shared resources, and have their credentials recognised across institutions. HEIF tackles eight key challenges in the learner journey, from discovering courses to earning verifiable digital certificates, making cross-border education smoother based on open standards that allow systems to communicate.
Author: Thomas Ekman Jørgensen
Director for Policy Coordination and Foresight, European University Association
Member of Scientific Council, International Graduate School (IGSSE)
Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn
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