More than 150 participants from 22 European countries convened in Thessaloniki on the 18th of May 2022 to learn more about the outcomes of the European Digital Student Service Infrastructure (EDSSI) project, taking the chance to meet colleagues, build new relations in person, after more than two years of online meetings and conferences.

Alongside the onsite participants, the plenary session was followed online by more than 400 stakeholders. Following the welcoming words of Prof. Nikolaos G. Papaioannou, Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the attendees listened to the keynote address delivered by Rehana Schwinninger-Ladak, Head of Unit of DG CONNECT from the European Commission, who emphasized how, for the past two years, the EDSSI project has been responsible for the maintenance and further development of the Erasmus+ digitalisation tools and infrastructure. 

After the plenary session, onsite participants had the opportunity to delve deeper into the current status of the EWP network and to learn how the EDSSI project contributed to the enhancement of the network. In the course of the parallel workshops, they also had the chance to deepen their knowledge on the role of Student Service Providers (SSP) as well as on  authentication and identification in mobility management. 

Furthermore, the conference unveiled details about the new Registration Portal, the role of the European Student Identifier (ESI), the EWP admin and the IdP of last resort in the digitalisation of the Erasmus+ programme, and the SSP module that will allow Higher Education Institutions to share information with university partners and students about  services available for mobile students.

The Registration Portal will serve as a main interface for HEIs to oversee and manage their connection to the EWP Network. Only dedicated “EWP administrators” will be able to access the portal to ensure safe and secure operation. Similarly to the ESI for mobile students, universities will be able to allocate this specific role at HEI level. 

Additionally, the EDSSI project contributed to the dissemination of the ESI. Indeed, until now, hundreds of universities have deployed the unique identifier, thus ensuring safe and secure data exchange during the digital administration of student mobility. What is more, the EDSSI project gives all ECHE holder universities the opportunity to deploy the ESI for their students, mainly via the IdP of last resort. This solution supports small HEIs that might be hindered by their limited resources or capacities, with the implementation of the ESI, and ensures that no one is left behind when enjoying the benefits of the Erasmus+ program.

Parallel to the session and workshops, participants had the occasion to hold onsite meetings in a dedicated area at the conference venue. More than 60 meetings took place, with nearly 75% percent of the participants attending, which provided an extra added value to the event.

In the magnificent building of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall participants could enjoy the comfort of a modern and well equipped venue against the backdrop of the extraordinary Greek seacoast. Finally, attendees wrapped up the long day with an apero on the top floor restaurant of the building where they engaged in inspiring conversations about the future of the Erasmus+ digitalisation while watching the sunset.

Click here to browse through the photos of the event.

If you missed the conference or want to refresh your memory, you can find the recording of the event here and the presentations here.

In case you haven’t done it already, follow our social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)  where we will announce in detail the two training sessions set to take place online on June 28th on the topics of the Student Service Providers module on the Dashboard, and the EWP network development.