Building Digital Foundations for Sustainable Learning: NSIS Online Platform Discussions in Matara

As the NSIS project progresses toward its implementation phase, the focus has increasingly turned to sustainability, digital infrastructure, and national-level visibility. These themes were at the centre of the Online Learning Platform Working Group (OLPWG) Meeting, held from 2nd to 5th December 2025 at the University of Ruhuna in Matara, Sri Lanka. Hosted by local partners, the event brought together representatives from all participating countries — India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal — as well as European technical and academic experts.

The four-day meeting opened with a series of country presentations, each focusing on preparations for the upcoming National Awareness Days (NADs). Delegations from India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal presented their draft marketing plans and preliminary programme outlines for these flagship dissemination events, which are scheduled for March and August 2026. The presentations revealed impressive progress in outreach planning, stakeholder mapping, and event logistics, with a strong emphasis on reaching academic staff, students, and national research and innovation actors. This session not only provided a platform for cross-country learning but also reinforced the shared communication strategy agreed upon at earlier consortium meetings.

The meeting then transitioned to the core focus of the working group: the development of the NSIS Online Learning Platform. The delegates presented two digital environments that have been evaluated for the platform’s delivery: Wix and Moodle LMS.

The Wix-based system, developed and hosted by MBTT, was highlighted for its user-friendly interface, responsive design, and integration capabilities. Its advantages in terms of visual appeal, navigation, and adaptability to project branding were particularly noted. The consortium engaged in a constructive dialogue, weighing user experience, administrative needs, and sustainability concerns across partner institutions.

Following this technical session, the group explored a crucial forward-looking theme: sustainability. The discussion focused on two key areas — the sustainability of the NSIS Curriculum and the long-term viability of the Online Learning Platform. Each partner institution reflected on how the modules, once piloted and refined, could be embedded within their existing academic structures. The meeting also explored opportunities to integrate the platform into institutional digital strategies to ensure its continued use beyond the project’s lifecycle. Ideas included establishing dedicated support teams within each university, allocating internal resources for maintenance, and creating policy incentives for cross-departmental usage of the NSIS content.

The OLPWG meeting in Matara was not only a technical working session but also a strategic moment for reinforcing the alignment between digital innovation, dissemination, and long-term institutional change. With clear plans emerging for both the National Awareness Days and the Online Platform, the NSIS project enters 2026 with a strong vision and the necessary infrastructure to translate curriculum innovation into sustainable practice.