SPARC Europe and Npuls have expanded their collaboration in 2025 with a commissioned feasibility report on the potential development of a European alliance for open education. SPARC Europe has collaborated with Npuls, the Dutch National Growth Fund program focused on digital transformation in post-secondary education, since 2024 through the Hewlett-funded project Connecting the Opens. In 2025, this work broadened with Npuls commissioning SPARC Europe to prepare a feasibility report on a possible European alliance for open education.
The Feasibility Plan for a European Alliance for Open Education (FEUR-OE) Project is intended to assess the viability of establishing such an alliance. SPARC Europe aims for the report to initiate more organized and coordinated action among higher education institutions across Europe, using open education as a long-term driver of systemic transformation. As part of this initial phase, the project examined the views of more than 25 national and international experts. The research explored interest in forming an alliance, potential goals and mandates, relevant areas of focus, target audiences, and possible challenges.
The findings indicate consistent support for an international alliance that includes diverse stakeholders and contributes to the digital transformation of open education. The research identified a clear call for a broad European open education alliance from a range of professionals, experts, and organizations.
The analysis suggests that an international alliance could serve as a central hub connecting and strengthening existing efforts. It could provide collective capacity to influence policy, advance large-scale collaboration, and address systemic challenges that exceed the capabilities of individual organizations. A shared agenda could align priorities and concentrate collective action on areas of common interest, supporting the development of a coordinated movement for a more open and equitable European educational ecosystem.
The research outlines a broad set of challenges that a potential alliance could address, including policy harmonization, development of a shared European understanding of open education, standardization and interoperability, quality, digital infrastructure connectivity, exchange of knowledge and expertise, cultural shifts toward openness and collaboration, and innovation linked to digital transformation and AI. It notes that specific priority areas would need to be set by the stakeholders committed to forming the alliance.
The findings emphasize that an international alliance would need to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders through collective action, with learners positioned as the primary beneficiaries. These stakeholders include policymakers and funders at institutional, regional, national, and European levels, as well as commercial service providers, libraries, universities, and colleges. The alliance could function as a connector between practitioners and decision-makers, strengthening links within and across national open education initiatives.
As of the fourth quarter of 2025, the concept remains in an exploratory phase. The emerging vision for a European alliance centers on an active, engaged, and connected community of stakeholders working toward a more aligned and integrated future for open education in Europe.
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