OpenU kick-off meeting in Paris
The kick-off meeting for the OpenU project took place at the Centre Panthéon of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne on 23rd and 24th April, bringing together 34 partner representatives and two representatives from the European Commission.
This kick-off marks the beginning of the first stage of the project, which will run for 36 months. It was an opportunity for the project partners to work together intensely on the design and implementation of OpenU.
The OpenU project, coordinated by Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, aims to continue the digital development of the EU to create a platform for blended and online learning, academic cooperation and virtual/blended mobility, building on the strengths of existing solutions. It is backed by the European Commission, with a budget of 2.7 million euros, involving 21 partners from higher education, government and education networks and associations. The project scope includes both the development of an online learning hub and policy recommendations for best practice utilisation of this hub.
During the kick-off, panels focused on questions such as how to successfully collaborate on policy encompassing the 11 European countries involved in the project. OpenU was accepted in response to a call for projects to create a hub that would integrate blended/virtual mobility with virtual campuses, requiring policy innovation that will maximise systemic impact. Responding to this brief, the kick-off is an important strategic point in the process of making OpenU a one stop-shop for education professionals, students and society at large.
Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne was delighted to be able to host the kick-off as partners come away from the two days having defined next steps for OpenU towards greater European mobility and educational integration excellence. A steering committee will be held in Latvia this July.