The CLOUD HED consortium has successfully completed the analysis on partner HEIs’ readiness and preparedness for an emergency-driven, temporary shift to a cloud university model (Activity A3.2)

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Four partner institutions were involved in the analysis Tel-Hai Academic College, Sumy State University (SSU), Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (UKSW), and Riga Technical University (RTU). By using an analysis grid that was prepared according to important themes identified in the literature and in previous interviews, the following dimensions were investigated in all four institutions:

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• Management structures and digital governance models

• Teaching conditions, practices, and pedagogical flexibility

• Technical infrastructure and cybersecurity preparedness

• Resilience skills integration and crisis response

 

Key findings:

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Our research shows that partner institutions are progressing toward cloud-based teaching, each from different starting points and facing similar structural challenges. Institutions operating under crisis conditions, such as SSU, have accelerated their cloud readiness, supported by cloud-ready modules and resilient infrastructure. At the same time, SSU highlights challenges common across all partners, including fragmented platforms, uneven digital skills, and cybersecurity risks.

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Tel-Hai and UKSW demonstrate comparable levels of preparedness. Tel-Hai is advancing hybrid teaching and experimenting with AI-supported curriculum design, yet still relies partly on physical workflows and non-integrated digital systems. UKSW builds on its COVID-19 experience and trauma-informed training approaches, but faces digital access inequalities and unclear platform integration.

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RTU shows strong instructional flexibility with synchronous and asynchronous teaching, personalized support, and solid digital literacy initiatives. While highly adaptable in crisis contexts, RTU is still navigating regulatory barriers, bandwidth limitations, and the absence of a shared research platform.

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Across all institutions, the path to a cloud-enabled university model requires integrated digital ecosystems, strengthened digital competencies, reliable infrastructure, and robust data security.

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What's next:

 

The analysis is the basis for subsequent investigations in the CLOUD HED partner institutions and beyond, notably the analysis of selected curricula and assessment forms regarding their crisis-sensitivity and readiness for cloud transfer. Next to guidelines that will be prepared for institutions facing armed conflict, the consortium is now preparing a scientific publication to share the evidence-based insights gathered in the analysis of partner HEIs’ cloud readiness with the broader higher education research community, contributing to institutional resilience in an era where crises increasingly affect higher education.

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How is your institution preparing for emergency-induced transitions to digital operations?