10 June 2025 - The Architecture Exchange 2025 virtual event series – Week 3
As we reached week 3 of the UCISA Architecture Exchange, the collaborative spirit and momentum of this unique knowledge-sharing and networking initiative continued to grow. This week brought together experts and practitioners from across the globe, providing a platform for sharing best practices, innovative ideas, and real-world experiences in enterprise architecture and data management. The sessions not only fostered international connections but also sparked lively discussions and valuable insights, reinforcing the power of collaboration within the higher education IT community.
The week began with a remarkable session at the EUNIS conference, which offered a unique opportunity for several global Enterprise Architecture (EA) teams to come together on a single call. This truly international event brought together the EUNIS EA group, with representation from EDUCAUSE, CAUDIT and UCISA. Highlights included Leah Lang from EDUCAUSE, who provided an overview of EDUCAUSE and its relevant working groups; Jeff Kennedy from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who discussed the CAUDIT roadmap for the HERM reference models; Louw Labuschagne from Newcastle University, who shared insights into the UCISA Architecture Exchange; Rosie Coffey from University College Cork, who presented an overview of UCISA’s work on a Data Reference Model; Lex Wilkinson from Sheffield Hallam University, representing the UCISA HERM working group; and Patrick Maltusch, Aalto University Finland who facilitated the session and spoke about the ongoing work of EUNIS. This session exemplified the rare and valuable chance for leading EA teams from around the world to connect, share knowledge, and collaborate on a global scale.
The Enterprise Data Management session, facilitated by Abdul Abdulquader from Newcastle University, featured three insightful and thought-provoking presentations. Laura Algera from the University of Southampton opened the session by sharing the Data Architecture journey and approach at Southampton. This was followed by Ayesha Hussain from the University of Leeds, who explained how to establish and administer data governance within a Higher Education Institution. Finally, Wilbert Kraan from the University of Edinburgh discussed their experience in establishing a federated data model, highlighting both the successes achieved and the challenges encountered along the way.
In the third session, focused on architecture project management, Daniel Poole from Newcastle University facilitated a dynamic discussion, with a featured presentation by Sharvari Andhare of University College London. Sharvari shared the journey of Enterprise Architecture at UCL, with a particular focus on their alignment with Agile methodologies. Daniel then provided an overview of how to structure the initiation of an enterprise architecture project, drawing on the TOGAF ADM framework and guidance from the Architecture Leaders series by The Open Group. Both presentations sparked a range of questions and lively debate among participants, with a noticeable theme emerging around the challenge EA teams face in explaining and measuring the value they deliver.
The week was rounded off with a session on Strategy & Business Modelling using ArchiMate. This Architecture Exchange session from by Louw Labuschagne (Newcastle University), provided further opportunities for participants to deepen their understanding of strategic modelling tools and techniques.
In summary, week 3 of the UCISA Architecture Exchange showcased the value of bringing together diverse voices and perspectives from across the global higher education sector. The sessions highlighted the importance of collaboration, the sharing of practical experiences, and the ongoing challenge of demonstrating the value of enterprise architecture. As this collaborative knowledge-sharing and networking event continues, we look forward to even more engaging discussions, innovative ideas, and strengthened connections in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for further updates and insights from the UCISA Architecture Exchange!
