ACE²-EU

ACE²-EU e-Campus

One of the key joint operational units of our European University will be the ACE²-EU e-Campus. It will be central to the operation and support of all the activities, systems and services of our inter-university campus, delivered in partnership by Alliance members from all regions of Europe. The ACE²-EU e-Campus will act as the digital platform for all our shared digital and IT systems, including our:

• Virtual Learning Environment,
• Library Information Systems,
• Experts and Networks Databases,
• Activities and Programmes Catalogue and Databases,
• Admissions and Registration System,
• Student Support System,
• Staff Support System,
• External Stakeholder Engagement and Support Systems,
• ACE²-EU Communications, Programme Management, and Dissemination Systems,
• Website and Public Information Systems.

The establishment of our inter-university e-Campus digital platform will require the development and implementation of a separate work plan and the creation of a dedicated project team, including a dedicated and shared e-Campus coordinator and dedicated technical support staff.

The establishment and development stages of our inter-university ACE²-EU e-Campus will include the:

• Appointment of the e-Campus Development Steering Group, including the ACE²-EU Coordinators, WP Leaders, and IT Systems Managers from each member of the Alliance;
• Appointment of the ACE²-EU e-Campus project team, including the e-Campus coordinator and the technical support staff:
• Reviewing IT systems and digital platforms currently in use at Alliance member institutions and a sample of other European universities to identify existing best practice models and systems;
• Implementation of pilot shared systems and platforms in key areas such as our virtual learning environment, library information systems, student support and servic
• Review and evaluation of the first ACE²-EU e-Campus pilots;
• Launch of first multi-element ACE²-EU e-Campus.

As the ACE²-EU e-Campus is intended to be a shared IT platform and as such will not be owned or developed by a single member of the Alliance, it will most likely require the establishment of a not-for-profit organisation/company to manage its development and operation. The process of establishing this legal entity will be considered by the member institutions of the Alliance at an early stage in the overall work plan of ACE²-EU.

As the ACE²-EU e-Campus will support all activities and operations of our alliance, it will be linked to all other WPs through the participation of its coordinators in their management groups and the participation of WP coordinators and leaders in its steering group.

The development of the ACE²-EU e-Campus will not only facilitate the development and operation of all the activities, systems and user support for our alliance, but will also meet the objectives of the Erasmus+ programme to expand online and blended learning activities and mobility opportunities, as well as the EU’s overall digital transformation ambitions.

Some of the new components of the ACE²-EU e-Campus will include the:

• ACE²-EU Solutions Service, to be provided on the ACE²-EU e-Campus platform and in partnership with WP3 and WP4, which will allow external stakeholders to seek advice and assistance in solving their specific challenges and real-world problems;
• ACE²-EU Expert Database, which will be an online database available on the ACE²-EU e-Campus platform and developed in partnership with WP3 and WP4, which will provide details of the collective expertise available across disciplines and activities within the Alliance, thereby supporting the networking of ACE²-EU with external stakeholders and the wider world;
• ACE²-EU Learner Portal, which will allow learners from all Alliance members to access common programme registration and information and learner support systems, including the Virtual Learning Environment and library systems.

The diagram below outlines the core elements, of the ACE²-EU e-Campus.