In January 2025, the European Digital Education Hub – EDEH (for more details, see ACA Newsletter – Education Europe,  June 2024) launched the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework.  

The aim of this framework is to provide European higher education institutions with a practical toolkit to ensure interoperable virtual learning environments. It will lay the foundation for EU-wide alignment of standards in higher education data exchange. By enabling seamless digital integration, this framework will enrich academic experiences, enhance mobility, and harness Europe’s full intellectual potential to address global challenges. 

Since late 2023, a dedicated workgroup under EDEH has been developing the framework, guided by the principles outlined in the Manifesto for a European Higher Education Interoperability Framework. With contributions from over 45 European University alliances and experts from diverse backgrounds, the team conducted eight use case squads to identify key challenges, model high-level workflows for critical processes, and design a comprehensive reference architecture. 

Images @ European Digital Education Hub  

The framework is built around three key components:  

• a Reference Architecture that provides a detailed analysis of the current state of affairs,  
• Implementation Guidelines to support practical application, and  
• a Governance Model Proposal, which consists of a collection of recommendations that aim to facilitate interoperability as a common goal on a policy level.  

To mark the launch, EDEH hosted two webinars exploring the framework's implementation and governance in greater detail.  

To access the draft version of the full framework, set to be made publicly available in March 2025, join the European Digital Education Hub here.