Higher education interoperability: a key tool to support the European strategy for universities

Higher education interoperability workgroup

The workgroup is developing a framework that will serve European higher education institutions as a practical toolkit to ensure interoperable virtual learning environments, seamless student mobility and data exchange. 

This framework will be accompanied by recommendations for its practical implementation, maintenance and governance.

The workgroup is organised by the European Digital Education Hub. Its guiding principles are outlined in the Manifesto for a European Higher Education Interoperability Framework [pdf].

Role of the European University alliances

Within the European universities initiative, 64 alliances bring together all types of higher education institutions and associate partners from outside the educational field.

By using cooperation as their main driving force, the alliances aim to strengthen the European Education Area, support the European strategy for universities and improve the international competitiveness of European higher education.

This cooperation is unprecedented. It brings with it higher expectations in terms of interoperability of institutions’ IT systems than ever before. This means the interoperability workgroup can draw on input from European University alliances to create an inventory of required use cases, main challenges and existing solutions. The result will be to identify points of improvement for existing standards and opportunities for developing new standards.

Read about the European universities initiative and the alliances

2017 European Interoperability Framework

General, cross-sectoral guidance on building digital interoperable public services for seamless services and data follows are provided by the 2017 European Interoperability Framework (EIF). It specifies four layers that are the building blocks of interoperability governance at the EU level: legal, organisational, semantic, and technical. The workgroup focuses on exploring practical solutions on the organisational, semantic and technical levels.

This means that developing the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework is an example of advancing interoperability in one specific public sector domain.

What about the legal layer?

Over the past two decades, the Bologna Process, Erasmus+ and other EU programmes created a solid baseline for legal interoperability in higher education.

While the development of the higher education framework needs to take place within this legal and policy baseline as it stands, the workgroup frequently identifies challenges which can hinder efficient trans-national cooperation.

Since these are beyond the remit of the workgroup, other EU initiatives in the education sector are addressing some of these challenges.

They include the March 2024 higher education package, which contained a blueprint for a European Degree and a proposed Council Recommendation on a European Quality Assurance and Recognition System. These initiatives aim to dismantle remaining regulatory obstacles and boost trans-national cooperation further.

They are examples of the legal layer of interoperability that the higher education interoperability initiative builds upon.

Seeking specific use cases

Following workshops and meetings with representatives of European Universities alliances and various European institutions, experts in the interoperability workgroup are now focusing on eight concrete use cases where interoperability is key to trans-national cooperation.

1. Visibility and comparability of diverse learning and mobility opportunities across higher education institutions, e.g. in joint course catalogues
2. Credit recognition and cross-institutional enrolment, e.g. in joint programmes
3. Management and access to shared tools and resources
4. Accessibility and re-use of educational materials
5. Standardised approach for exchanging learners' activity data
6. Digital management of educational credentials
7. Interoperable user identities across educational transitions
8. A cohesive framework for trusted institutional identities

The aim is to create a ‘common language’ and toolkit that higher education institutions can use to align key processes within a European University alliance and beyond.

Join the workgroup

Since its start in 2024, the workgroup has grown to more than 130 members of very diverse backgrounds. This diversity a key ingredient in achieving the group’s mission.

Do you have a relevant skill set? You could also contribute to building a practical toolkit to ensure interoperable virtual learning environments.

Read more about the higher education interoperability workgroup

Apply to join the workgroup