Conveners
Federate, Don’t Fragment — Connecting Students Across Borders: 4D
- Sara Garavelli (CSC - IT Center for Science)
Description
This session explores how National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) can support Europe’s transition toward an interoperable higher education ecosystem. Speakers introduce the Higher Education Interoperability Framework and highlight the key role of NRENs in enabling trusted cross‑border services. Participants will also hear insights from a CSC–SURF proof of concept, demonstrating how a federated approach to course data can enhance Europe‑wide course discoverability. A panel discussion will explore how mobility can become the new normal, and how closer cooperation across HEIs, NRENs, and European initiatives can reduce fragmentation and strengthen the higher education landscape.
Europe’s ambition for a borderless European Education Area is hindered by fragmented digital systems that burden learners with complex cross-border search, authentication, application, and recognition processes. National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), collaborating through GÉANT, offer a trusted, federated infrastructure -eduroam, eduGAIN, MyAcademicID, eduID and credential services...
This presentation explores how higher education institutions are adopting the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework (HEIF) to strengthen collaboration within European university alliances and beyond. Using practical use cases, we demonstrate how HEIF helps create shared structures and a common language that enable mutual understanding and long‑term planning for truly...
Across Europe, universities collaborate through alliances and cross-border programmes, yet students still struggle to discover courses beyond national and institutional boundaries. Course data remains fragmented, duplicated, and locked into local systems. This session presents fed-eduhub, a prototype for a federated, scalable architecture that interconnects national platforms such as...
