Partners of Nudging 360 met in Münster on 30 November to 1 December, 2023 to discuss the progress of PR3, prepare for PR4 kick-off and go over dissemination, administration and quality assurance activities.
National summaries on digitalisation in higher education in Spain, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Belgium provided a lot of interesting insights and parallels.
In Italy the National Programme for Open Science 2021-2027 prioritizes open access, facilitating global research collaboration. Italy strategically invests in digital education, yet funding remains a persistent challenge.
In Ireland the aim of Ireland’s National Strategy for HE is to integrate technology, giving priority to digital competency, institutional modernization, and flexible learning in areas such as research, digital literacy, professional development, and infrastructure.
In Germany, most federal states have digital agendas addressing digitization challenges. For HE institutions, the primary goal of digitalization strategies is enhancing teaching quality. Drivers for digitalization include innovation, inclusivity, flexible education, preparation for the future, and fostering digital literacy. Barriers include a lack of top-level strategic commitment, communication issues among stakeholders, insufficient structural support, concerns about data protection and privacy, resistance to change and lack of funding.
In Belgium, SERV, the Social and Economic Council of Flanders recommend leaders and educators take the initiative in adapting to the new skills required in the evolving digital landscape.
In Spain, the Spain Digital Agenda 2025 guides national digitalization strategies, emphasizing inclusivity and lifelong learning. The National Digital Skills Plan targets 80% basic digital skills for the population, impacting higher education. The UniDigital Plan focuses on modernizing Spanish universities, fostering innovation, and driving digital transformation. Despite Spain’s commitment, higher education institutions struggle to meet the demands of a digital society, as highlighted in the CRUE’s annual UNIVERSITIC report, calling for increased investment in digital technology.
In addition the dissemination strategy was discussed and partners allocated the roles with ACEEU preparing the coordination documents. The project meetings ended on a high note with plans underway to prepare 3 nudging inspiring cases per partner which would pave the way for PR4.
