Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) collaborates with research universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational training schools in the National Growth Fund programme Npuls. The education sector promises learners 'Learning without obstacles' and 'Continued high-quality education', with AI and data used in a valuable and values-driven way. These ambitions have been translated into sector ambitions. The sector ambitions describe what the sector, working together in Npuls, wants to achieve for tertiary education.
What are we working towards?
Npuls is the national digitisation initiative for higher education. All 102 public universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational colleges are working together over a period of eight years to build a future-proof education sector. Npuls is financed by the National Growth Fund (€560 million) and will run until July 2031. The sector promises learners Learning without obstacles: learners are in control of their own learning and development path and do not encounter any administrative barriers. The second promise is Continued high-quality education: education that is accessible, up to date and of high quality. The third ambition concerns AI and data: learners and education professionals use AI and data responsibly and safely. AI and data are used in a valuable way.
Sector ambitions
These promises have been translated into sector ambitions. These describe what the higher education sector, working together in Npuls, wants to achieve for tertiary education. The ambitions mainly focus on matters that the institutions can only achieve together, such as developing sector facilities (shared facilities for the education sector), devising new working methods and sharing knowledge. At the same time, they provide insight into what the institutions themselves will do to bring about the transformation of education. There are 20 ambitions with concrete targets for the institutions. The sector ambitions have been set by the sector associations, which have agreed on a joint commitment to lasting change.
Prioritisation of sector ambitions for EUR
A Linking team has been set up within EUR to ensure effective alignment with Npuls. The Linking team has investigated how the sector ambitions align with EUR's strategy. For each sector ambition, we can determine whether we want to participate, contribute ideas or observe. The Linking team consulted the Vice Deans of Education (VDEs), the Operations Board (OB) and the Information Managers for the Education Domain (IM Education) for input on this prioritisation. The feedback was translated into advice for the board and management. The conclusion is that EUR plays and wants to play an active role in Npuls. We want to participate in 12 sector ambitions and contribute ideas to 8. We also note that EUR is already quite active and is a pioneer in the sector in a number of areas. Together with the other universities, we coordinate joint priorities for higher education and explore whether we can divide tasks to make optimal use of Npuls' resources and opportunities.
Examples
The following examples highlight a couple of sector ambitions and illustrate how EUR is contributing to them.
- The theme AI is an important driver for sector-wide collaboration and is therefore incorporated in several sector ambitions. Within Npuls, educational institutions are, for instance, working on developing secure sector facilities for AI (EduGenAI), but also focus on strengthening the digital literacy of students and educational professionals. Also in the area of educational technologies and the use of data, various opportunities for collaboration exist.
- To ensure 'Continued high-quality education', providing collective sector facilities for digital learning materials is crucial. Within this ambition, EUR is working towards stimulating Open Education and open sharing of educational materials via Edusources. Have a look at this CLI article to learn more about the context of Open Education and seeing two EUR projects.
- Npuls supports all institutions in establishing and developing a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). At the core, CTL's facilitate knowledge sharing about educational innovations, training and support for teachers, and research into educational innovations. With our Community for Learning & Innovation (CLI), EUR is at the forefront of this development. We are increasingly collaborating with other CTLs.
- For the promise of Learning without obstacles, EUR (within the framework of lifelong learning (LLL)) is collaborating on the creation of an EduID and an EduWallet. Furthermore, EUR contributes ideas on how to improve access to educational programmes and processes for application, admission and enrolment.
Stay informed!
A special webpage has been created for EUR's affiliation with Npuls. This page explains Npuls and its sector ambitions. It focuses on the Linking team, but above all on specific projects in which EUR is collaborating with other institutions and Npuls. These stories will also be shared in the CLI newsletter, so keep an eye on this media. On 18 June, Npuls will pay a working visit to EUR. A great opportunity to learn more about Npuls and EUR. More on this later!
- More information
This article is based on content from Npuls published on www.npuls.nl, available under the Creative Commons licence CC BY-SA 4.0. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ for more information.
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