From June 23 to 27, the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP)—took place in Málaga, Spain, as part of the UNINOVIS European University Alliance. This event brought together representatives from partner institutions with a shared goal: to explore one of the alliance’s major current challenges—the development of a joint digital platform.

The main aim of the BIP was to assess the digital needs of the UNINOVIS alliance and lay the foundation for future collaboration. Key issues discussed during the week included the creation of the digital platform, the implementation of the European Student Card, the development of a joint course catalogue, a shared research collaboration database, and more.

The event was attended by representatives from the eight UNINOVIS member institutions: Sorbonne Paris Nord University (France), Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (Germany), University of Málaga (Spain), University of Tirana (Albania), University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (Italy), The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and Kauno kolegija (Lithuania).

Kauno kolegija was represented by Vytautė Giedraitienė, Senior Specialist at the Project Management Unit, and Mantas Gudaitis, Senior Administrator of Information Systems. Vytautė, who coordinates Work Package 4 (WP4) activities at Kauno kolegija, highlighted the significance of the event: ‘This intensive week proved to be very valuable—not only did we get to know our WP4 colleagues better, but we also defined future directions and clearly identified the specific services and tools we would like to integrate into the UNINOVIS digital platform.’

The programme was both diverse and dynamic, including workshops, discussions, and idea exchanges on the alliance’s envisioned digital infrastructure. Particular focus was given to topics such as digital identity, data interoperability, and the integration of the European Student Card.

One of the key highlights was the presentation of the Agora digital platform, which is already in use by 11 existing European University Alliances. The presentation sparked active discussion on whether—and how—this system could be adapted and applied within the UNINOVIS context.

It was also agreed to establish a Technical Board under WP4, composed of IT experts from each partner institution. The board will be responsible for addressing questions related to the technical implementation of the joint digital platform. Mantas Gudaitis was appointed as Kauno kolegija’s representative on the board. As he noted: ‘Considering that the platform is meant to digitally connect eight higher education institutions, each using different systems and tools, it is essential to have a technical board that can help synchronize systems and guide us toward a unified development approach.’

UNINOVIS is a European University Alliance comprising eight higher education institutions united by a shared goal: to strengthen data literacy—developing the ability to understand, analyze, manage, use, and protect data within the EU context. A central aim of the alliance is the creation of a shared digital platform, which is also the main deliverable of Work Package 4 (WP4). More about the alliance: https://uninovis.eu.