The Learning platform Canvas will replace Athena
The transition to a new learning platform is now underway at the university. In 2026, we will switch to the Canvas learning platform, which is already used by most higher education institutions in Sweden.
The contract for our current platform, Athena, will expire in 2027 and can not be extended further due to procurement regulations. This left us with two options: either procure a new learning platform independently or make a call-off from an existing framework agreement. After conducting a preliminary study, we decided to replace Athena with the Canvas platform, which has been procured via Sunet. The formal decision was made by the University Director at the end of March.
Increased opportunities for collaboration
Canvas is a robust and secure system used by 32 other institutions in Sweden and is widely recognised for its usability. Switching to Canvas gives us great opportunities to collaborate with other institutions while achieving a more standardised technical environment.
What’s happening now is the launch of a major implementation project in spring 2025. It is a project that will affect the entire university, and representatives from departments and faculties will be involved as early as possible in the process.
When is the transition to Canvas happening?
The plan is to launch Canvas for students in the autumn semester of 2026, which means that departments will be able to start working in the system in spring 2026. Everyone involved will receive guides and training in Canvas, along with support to get started with the new platform. More information on when and how this will happen will follow.
Changing a learning platform is no small task and will naturally involve extra work. However, we now have a much higher level of digital maturity than we did during the transition to Athena, which will be a great help.
With Canvas, we will get a modern platform that supports both sound pedagogy and high quality – and with great opportunities for collaboration.