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The ULB on its way to the “Digital University”

Published on March 12, 2018 by - Updated on 16 décembre 2020 à 16H00

To ensure the rework of its public websites, the installation of its intranet and a course catalogue, the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) chose Kosmos. This decision was based on the dual technical and professional expertise of the Kosmos Solutioning team and its experience in implementing large scale projects. By signing this contract with a major University situated in the heart of Europe, Kosmos continues its development internationally.


The 3 key issues for the ULB

The ULB sought to remake all of its websites with a “Website factory” logic. Apart from creating a new internet graphic identity, the challenge was to centralise the management of the main website and its satellites with the same CMS (Content Management System). The goal is to have a single content repository while organising an enlarged contribution network. The K-Sup CMS, an open source CMS/portal solution dedicated to higher education and research for which Kosmos is a contributor, perfectly matches these challenges by simplifying the management of an unlimited number of websites, in a user-friendly fashion and with a consistent graphic universe.
 

Moreover, the ULB wants to develop its internal communication by making a renovated and enriched intranet portal available to its personnel. Thanks to its native feature of selective information distribution, the Kosmos solution allows restricted access websites to be easily created and custom information to be published depending on the audience connected. The solution has a number of connectors allowing the CMS to be integrated into the University Information System (IS). Thus, the user can access all the digital services.
The third goal of ULB is to put in place a management and distribution tool for its internet course catalogue. The course offerings, developed by the Kosmos Solutioning teams, allows data coming from the schooling service to be recovered and to be supplemented by presentation and promotion information from the different disciplines. It also allows contact generation to be facilitated by encouraging students and future students to perform an action on the website (download of brochures, making contact with the school or to registering online).


 

Kosmos, a professional partner assisting the digital rework of the ULB

Kosmos’s references on the field of higher education, its demonstrated mastery for implementing solutions for large-scale projects and the reinforced technical assistance from its experts, have been assets appreciated by the ULB at the time of choosing its partner.

  • Websites centred on the user

  • The ULB websites have been designed to provide the user with information most adapted to their profile (future student, general public, alumni, staff, etc.) using a “deep thinking” approach. This methodology is based on user experience design workshops as well as the production of a dynamic prototype illustrating the major user paths. The prototype is then tested by a representative panel of different targets which allows the architecture and the user friendliness of future sites to be defined.

  • Professional expertise for the publication and promotion of the course catalogue

  • To ensure the promotion of the course offerings, Kosmos offers both advice and assistance for defining the means of presentation of the catalogue (by type of diploma, by level, etc.). Kosmos Solutioning consultants also assist in the establishing of the organisation of decentralised network contributors and the means of integration with the schooling information system (management repository, applicant/registration solution).

  • A means of deployment and progressive tailoring

  • To ensure the progressive implementation of the project, Kosmos relies on an iterative deployment methodology integrating agile concepts, which provide intuitive handling of K-Sup, changes to be executed and adjustments to be made throughout the project, taking user feedback into account.

 

Kosmos continues its development internationally.

Kosmos has been a specialist in the digital transformation of the world of education for more than 15 years and assists over 3600 schools, junior schools and high schools, 40 Universities and higher education schools in France, and French high-schools in Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Columbia in implementing digital solutions. By equipping the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Kosmos continues to establish its standing internationally with this ambitious project.