Reflections from Naples

Attending the EWP Convention 2026 last June in Naples as the Immediate Past President of the Groningen Declaration Network was both energising and affirming. The European University Foundation (EUF), a long‑standing champion of innovation in student mobility and digital transformation in higher education, plays a central role in coordinating the Erasmus Without Paper initiative and organised this convening. Through the Memorandum of Understanding between the GDN and EUF — a partnership built on shared values of learner‑centric data portability and global interoperability — I had the privilege of joining this year’s Convention as both a participant and a contributor. This collaboration made my presence in Naples not only possible but meaningful, connecting the global mission of GDN with the European leadership embodied by EUF.

A Year of Meaningful Progress

The Convention opened with a clear message: the past year has been pivotal for Erasmus Without Paper. The updates to the EWP Network and Dashboard — from expanded functionalities to improved workflows — show a system maturing rapidly. What struck me most was how these developments are increasingly framed not as isolated technical upgrades, but as part of a broader ecosystem of digital trust and mobility.

National case studies from Italy and France demonstrated how communities of practice can accelerate adoption and strengthen confidence. Sessions on digital nominations, inter‑institutional agreements, and learning agreements highlighted how shared standards reduce friction and improve the learner experience.

For the GDN community, these themes are deeply familiar. They echo the principles we have championed globally: collaboration, interoperability, and trust as the foundations of modern mobility.

Panel Reflections: Making Interoperability a Global Reality

Participating in the panel “EWP Back to the Future 3: Making Interoperability a Global Reality” offered an opportunity to connect Europe’s digitalisation journey with the global landscape. The discussion underscored a crucial point: interoperability is no longer a regional aspiration — it is a global necessity.

Learners move across continents, not just within Erasmus+. Institutions collaborate worldwide, not only within EU frameworks. Recognition processes increasingly depend on secure, verifiable, and portable digital records that can travel with the learner.

In the panel, we explored how EWP’s architecture and governance can serve as a model for other regions, and how global networks like GDN can help bridge systems, standards, and communities. The alignment between EWP’s evolution and GDN’s mission is becoming clearer every year:

• EWP strengthens regional digital mobility infrastructure.
• GDN connects these regional infrastructures into a global trust network.
• Together, they help ensure that learners can move freely, fairly, and digitally across borders.

Interoperability as the Backbone of International Mobility

One of the messages from the Convention was the recognition that digital data exchange must extend beyond Erasmus+. This is precisely where the GDN perspective becomes essential.

Interoperability — technical, semantic, and organisational — is the backbone of international mobility. Without it, processes become fragmented, recognition slows down, and learners bear the administrative burden. With it, mobility becomes fluid, recognition becomes equitable, and institutions can collaborate with confidence.

The Convention’s sessions on digital certificates of arrival and departure, AI‑supported recognition, and data portability showed how quickly the ecosystem is advancing. These innovations are not just operational improvements; they are steps toward a world where learners truly own and control their achievements.

A Shared Horizon

Walking through the Convention’s hackathons, community spaces, and plenaries, I was reminded of something fundamental: the future of mobility will not be built by single systems or single actors. It will be built through networks — networks of institutions, networks of practitioners, and networks of trust.

This is where the GDN community and the EWP community meet. Both are committed to enabling learners to move across borders with confidence. Both understand that digital trust is earned through collaboration, transparency, and shared standards. And both recognise that the next years will be decisive for shaping a truly global mobility ecosystem.

A Warm Thank‑You to Our Hosts

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the University of Naples Federico II, our generous host institution, and to João Bacelar, Executive Manager of the European University Foundation and his team, for their exceptional hospitality throughout the Convention. Their thoughtful organisation, warm welcome, and genuine openness ensured that I immediately felt part of this remarkable community of likeminded professionals. João’s leadership and the university’s commitment to fostering dialogue created an atmosphere where collaboration flourished and where global perspectives — including those from the GDN — were embraced with enthusiasm. It was a privilege to be welcomed so wholeheartedly into such an inspiring environment.

Closing Reflection

Leaving Naples, I felt encouraged. The EWP Convention 2026 showed that digitalisation is no longer a technical project — it is a strategic, collaborative, and global endeavour. For the Groningen Declaration Network, the Convention reaffirmed that our mission is not parallel to EWP’s work; it is deeply connected. Together, we are building the foundations of a world where learning is portable, recognition is fair, and interoperability is the norm rather than the exception.

The momentum is real, and the community is ready for what comes next.