Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB): Over 130 websites
Paddle.be successfully migrated websites of 70 VUB research groups from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9/10. This migration also included the onboarding, setup, and launch of new websites for VUB research groups or partners.
User-Friendly Platform
In alignment with the university's general communication strategy, VUB offers a Platform as a Service (PaaS) content management system. This service is available to all VUB-linked entities that need their own website for external communication purposes. The platform provides three different templates: one in VUB’s house style, a neutral black template, and a VUB-ULB house style template. This approach ensures a consistent look and feel across various VUB websites.
In addition to integrating VUB's house style into the various websites, it was crucial that research groups could easily and user-friendly build and maintain their own websites.
Customized Functionalities
The platform includes several functionalities specifically developed by Paddle.be in consultation with VUB. One such feature is the ‘researcher module,’ which makes it much easier for research groups to clearly display all their members on their website.
Another customized functionality was the creation of a central platform that allows various VUB websites to manage news articles and events.
Methodology
In 2022, the Paddle team migrated the websites of over 70 recognized research groups to the new Paddle CMS Platform.
Any new research group interested in refreshing their website can participate in free demo sessions that explain how the Paddle CMS Platform works.
Through simple forms, each research group can start building their own website within the VUB house style. Paddle supports the setup process, and even after the launch, the Paddle helpdesk is always available. All websites receive a monthly upgrade.
Currently, more than 130 research groups use the Paddle CMS Platform.
Some examples of websites:
- https://cris.research.vub.be
- https://lsts.research.vub.be
- https://wops.research.vub.be/nl/home/
- https://regedim.research.vub.be/en/home-page/
Over the past 50 years, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has become a major player in the Flemish higher education landscape, holding a prominent position in Brussels, Flanders, and globally. Today, VUB has around 20,000 students and employs over 3,700 staff members, making it the largest Dutch-speaking employer in the capital.