The (KA2) D-TRANSFORM program is a first attempt to set up a "University Leader Program" (addressed to university presidents and vice-presidents) at the European level on the role of e-Education in shaping University strategies. EU-ordered foresight studies on the issues raised by learning modernization in higher education in the 21st century clearly shows that the major bottleneck found is the staff competence and preparedness, more specifically at the institutional leadership and executive management level. D-TRANSFORM, which gathers together specialists of e-Education from various institutions (University, higher education ministries, consultancy in learning innovation, e-Education networks) primarily considers that digital technologies, like Massive Open Online Courses, (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources are an essential lever for transforming the higher education systems and adapting them to the new needs of youth and requirements of work-market (lifelong training). D-TRANSFORM intends to produce recommendations on various aspects of a university strategy based on the use of digital tools. The following questions will be addressed: (i) the role of MOOCs in enhancing competitiveness, international attractiveness and in strengthening the identity of universities; but (ii) also the possible disruptions that they may cause in the educational process and the educational body, and the solutions to be applied; (iii) the benefits in resource sharing capacity versus the need for “contextualization” (by providing a “private space” within the MOOC “public space”); (iv) the necessary balance between online and face-to-face learning; and finally (v) the economic aspects (business models, cost-effectiveness, public and private funding opportunities). Based on these recommendations, D-TRANSFORM will set up two “leadership schools”, dedicated, for the 1st time in Europe, to the university governances. The D-TRANSFORM team (composed of representatives of the partner institutions, associated to external experts) will define the contents of the training program based on the issues faced by the attendees in their workplace (case studies) and focusing on the strategic responses. Using a compact format, that takes into account the time constraints of the university leaders, the leadership schools will be a place for informal exchange between university leaders, giving them the opportunity to create an interaction that will potentially persist beyond the sessions. Specific materials and tools (downloadable Guidelines, online training kits) will be produced and freely disseminated. The major highlights of D-TRANSFORM will be presented during three international events gathering the e-Learning community. Dissemination will also greatly benefit from the strong ties existing between the project participants, the national higher education ministries and the European e-education networks. The sustainability of D-TRANSFORM after completion of the three-year EU funding is also considered, so that it can contribute to the necessary change of scale in mobilizing all the key stakeholders in the field of digital higher education.
As part of an in-depth reflection on the modernization of universities in Europe, the D-TRANSFORM project is the first attempt of its kind to set up, at the European level, a program of Leadership Schools and online courses (MOOC) addressed to the university governances. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of these institutions to meet the needs of universities for competitiveness and international attractiveness through the digital transition and the e-Education. The D-Transform project (KA2) brought together, from 9-1-2014 to 8-31-2017, a consortium of seven European partners represented by three "traditional" universities (University of Lorraine in France, Politecnico di Milano in Italy, Budapest University of Technology and Economy in Hungary), one online university (Open University of Catalonia in Spain), a consulting company in the field of e-learning (Sero in the UK), a European network on e -Education (European Distant Education Network, United Kingdom). The Foundation Maison de Sciences de l'Homme (France) coordinated the project. Partners were represented by scholars, researchers and experts in the field of e-learning. In this context, the missions of the D-Transform project were the following three: 1. Make recommendations for an e-Education-based strategy aiming at transforming universities in a context where teaching and learning patterns are changing dramatically. 2. Organize two leadership schools (LS), in the form of residential seminars, in order to support university presidents and vice-presidents in implementing strategies to transform their institutions through e-Education. 3. Produce an online kit (the MOOC D-TRANSFORM) made from the modeling of the Leadership Schools programs. The recommendations are presented in the form of four reports: (i) Digital Transformation Policies in Higher Education; (ii) Business models for opening up education; (iii) Open Educational Resources, a lever for digital transition in higher education; (iv) Guidelines for University Governance. The reports are available (free access) on the D-Transform website (http://www.dtransform.eu). The two leadership schools were organized in Barcelona (November 2016) and in Nancy (May 2017). They were also open to faculty deans and those who work closely with the presidents and vice presidents to implement the transformation policies of their universities. The D-Transform MOOC is a kit providing a syllabus with innovative contents for defining academic strategies in the digital age. These deliverables were presented to the target audience (university governance) as well as to a wider audience (ministerial executives, members of university networks or rectors' conferences) during the 4 dissemination events organized in Spain, Hungary and France. During the 3 years, the partners met in the context of 4 transnational meetings (organized in France, Italy, Spain and Hungary), 2 leadership schools and 2 meetings of the International Advisory Board. Skype and videoconference were also useful tools for communication within the consortium. The D-Transform project has had a strong impact on the universities that took part in the D-Transform consortium (launching new courses on e-learning and registering the D-Transform knowledge in their Strategic Plan). More generally, at a European level, D-Transform has made a significant contribution to popularizing the concept of "leadership programs" for university governance among rectors' conferences, (European or international) university networks and e-learning associations.