BeLEARN: Insights from building a new structure for digitalization and education

This paper presents the Bern Center of Excellence for Digitalization in Education (BeLEARN) as an innovation-oriented manifestation of a Campus Community Partnership (CCP) and shows the challenges BeLEARN faces. The aim of the paper is to draw lessons on a strategic, operational and general level for the establishment of comparable hybrid organizations in order to develop their potential as smoothly as possible. The case shows that when designing a CCP, great attention must be paid to the implementability of the concept. In addition to commitment from the stakeholders, the CCP also needs the organizational autonomy and discretion to make and implement managerial and strategic decisions in line with the CCP’s objectives, which do not necessarily follow the logic of the university or the market.