A foundation for cross-border collaboration: Meet us behind the scenes of ECIU University’s digital campus

For over three years, the IT team at ECIU University has been building a constantly evolving digital campus that connects institutions and communities. From the latest AI developments to the Engage platform that redefines the studying process, here’s what has been achieved – and what’s next.

Today, digital spaces are essential to innovation and co-creation. They're the cornerstone of a European university – and what makes it a university of tomorrow, establishing collaboration beyond borders. ECIU University is no exception. Moreover, it’s a frontrunner.  

‘ECIU University is a pioneer when it comes to interoperability and building a digital campus,’ shares Olga Wessels, the head of ECIU’s Brussels office. ‘And without a well-working digital campus, there cannot be a European university. It’s a crucial step to a functioning European Education Area.’

Enter DXP and the Engage platform. The first is a unique Digital Experience Platform that connects the ECIU University community across countries and institutions, creating a basis for cross-border collaboration among universities in Europe. The second is a learning platform that redefines our approach to studying, helping create a more dynamic, personalised path.  

Both are developed by digital architects from the Linköping and Tampere University-based IT team, which has been building the digital foundation for the constantly growing community of 12 universities since 2022.  

Their work is both the basis for the most essential ECIU University processes and the glue that holds them together. It’s also what makes ECIU University’s novel educational model possible.

A new digital experience

With unique concepts like micro-credentials and challenge-based learning, an equally unique digital system was needed – one that would turn these concepts into a user journey.  

‘DXP covers all the IT services we provide for the students, teachers, staff and researchers,’ explains Juha Eskelinen (Tampere University), head of digitalisation at ECIU University, who leads the team. ‘The idea behind it was to create ECIU University’s own native backbone for challenge-based learning, micro-credentials, community coordination and marketing processes.’  

Several platforms and systems have been integrated into DXP since, supporting different parts of the community. For example, the Teacher Hub is a digital community that helps teachers connect and network. Meanwhile, the R&I Hub (Research and Innovation Hub) provides researchers with information on new opportunities and potential collaborations.

And then, there’s the Engage platform – the centrepiece of learning at ECIU University. The DXP student portal was launched as early as the end of 2022, allowing students to browse and sign up for courses, track their progress, receive and store micro-credentials after course completion, and get personalised recommendations for their chosen path.  

Rather than just offering a selection of courses, it uses the latest AI trends and tailored approaches to create a personal cabinet that understands your priorities, adjusts to your goals, and guides you on your path.  

As of today, almost 4 000 learners have completed courses they signed up for through the platform – and the number keeps growing.  

Engaging learners

With new Challenges and micro-modules introduced monthly, the Engage platform currently connects thousands of learners, teachers, businesses and organisations across Europe, opening doors to new career opportunities and collaborations. None of this would be possible without the IT team’s contribution.

‘For the Engage platform, we wanted to focus on students and their learner journey,’ says Johan Peterson (Linköping University), an IT architect at ECIU University. ‘We wanted to do something new on a global level, so we built the platform from scratch using our own custom code.’

‘Learners and their experience were our priority,’ he explains. ‘So we created the Engage around the skill taxonomy. The idea was to help learners find new opportunities – but also to let them have fun in the process.’  

The team also kept the teachers in mind – and developed a platform called Conductor for them. It helped them to overview the learning process from start to finish, publish courses, navigate the application process and award micro-credentials. All in one place – essential in a busy university environment where every second counts.  

‘We built a specific process and approval flow that you would need to follow to publish a learning opportunity,’ Johan shares. ‘We wanted to help teachers work and act quickly.’

A pathway to innovation

Building a digital campus for the ECIU University community required not just effort but new, innovative approaches. The platforms were built fully cloud-based and with custom code to support key ECIU University processes – creating a unique online space. An all-in-one solution for community members.  

Another important – and a pioneering – step was integrating micro-credentials into them, something no alliance has done before. As Johan shares, over 3 000 micro-credentials have been issued through the Engage platform already, putting ECIU University in the lead in Europe.

But there’s no limit to innovation, and the IT team doesn’t plan on stopping either, constantly improving DXP and pushing the boundaries. This includes integrating AI into the systems – an inevitable and crucial step for any digital platform.  

‘We have been working on AI helpers for challenge-based learning and teachers, and we’re planning to pilot an AI tutor for students soon,’ Juha says. ‘We want to integrate it gradually. First, as an intellectual search engine, then as an interactive avatar able to communicate with students.’

‘In the future, we’re also looking to implement AI into the solutions for staff and teachers so we can better support them and lessen their workload.’

Moving forward, they can see staff and students interacting with the Engage platform as with an actual smart assistant, asking it questions, receiving guidance and being supported at every step of their learning or teaching journeys.  

It’s not just about keeping up with the trends, but about being at the forefront of change – and helping the community pursue it as well.  

More to come

When it comes to developing the IT infrastructure, the work never stops. Digital spaces are changing rapidly, yet the IT team aims to stay one step ahead – improving the ECIU University platforms even further.  

This includes enhancing mobility and admission processes on the platforms, introducing new types of learning opportunities to the Engage platform, and integrating DXP into member universities’ own digital systems, with the first one already being prepared for the launch.

As part of the mobility efforts, the team is also set to introduce a brand-new approach to how user data is processed, unique to ECIU University. With different countries, institutions and legislations involved, they want it to be fit for an international environment – and plan to ask students only for data that the hosting university needs and only when it’s absolutely required.

'We want to make the platforms more versatile,’ notes Johan. ‘It’s always on top of our priorities.’

Making a global impact

The approaches and systems developed by the IT team have been making a difference at ECIU University – and beyond. As Juha and Johan explain, they’re already sharing their best practices with colleagues and helping reshape the future of higher education, now on a global level.

They’ve already participated in various EU projects, such as European Digital Education Hub and FOREU4ALL, where they took part in discussions and explained how ECIU University platforms work – and how their approach can benefit even more alliances and projects, with some of the colleagues already taking inspiration from DXP, Conductor and the Engage platform.

‘ECIU University is the only alliance that has the experience of building a digital platform from scratch,’ Juha shares. ‘Other alliances across the EU are now using our platform as an inspiration, and our findings are redefining the standards as a whole.’

There’s still a long journey ahead for the team, and many ideas they plan to turn into reality. Given how quickly digital spaces and trends change, challenges are inevitable – but when your goal is innovation, that’s the only way you can move forward.  

‘Things change constantly,’ Johan points out. ‘You might need to rebuild the things you’ve built already because of that, but that’s the only way to create a platform that really works for users.’

‘You have to be open-minded – ready to change and adapt.’  

As Johan confesses, ECIU University is an experience unlike anything else he has done during his 25 years at Linköping University – all thanks to the community, where people from different backgrounds, countries and fields work together towards a shared goal. It’s a unique chance to be part of something bigger than yourself, he shares.  

‘It’s a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and connect with people from across Europe. Join in, be there, talk to people – and help them build the community.’  

_{Author: Anastasia Bukhtiarova}