Innovation in Higher Education: High-tech Drupal Solutions for the Gulf

As an open-source content management system (CMS), Drupal empowers you to create entirely customizable school websites, free from concerns about proprietary license fees. A user-friendly CMS is essential for any content team, providing flexibility, accessibility, and security. In the context of schools, this is vital for optimizing content processes, managing diverse access permissions, and delivering tailored front-end experiences for various user groups.

While there are numerous alternatives, Drupal boasts distinctive capabilities that render it an ideal choice for your school's website. Let's explore the reasons behind this preference.

Why Should You Consider Drupal as Your Education CMS?

Drupal stands out as an excellent choice for various compelling reasons. Firstly, it comes at no cost. Unlike proprietary CMS options, Drupal doesn't require an initial investment for the code or the database, and there are no monthly license fees. Who wouldn't want a robust and user-friendly CMS without breaking the bank?

Moreover, Drupal boasts an extensive library of over 40,000 freely available modules and more than 2,500 themes. These modules serve as the foundational elements that empower you to construct and continually enhance your CMS. Picture modules as akin to Lego blocks, allowing you to craft a fully customizable website by strategically selecting and combining them. Simultaneously, themes take care of the website's front end, determining its appearance and user interface.

This Lego-like approach facilitates the organic growth of your school's website alongside your community. Familiarizing yourself with the array of Drupal modules available enables you to construct a website with precisely the functionality your organization requires. While it may involve a modest upfront time investment, the payoff comes later when you have a CMS tailored to your school's unique needs.

Alternatively, you have the option to engage with an agency partner offering Drupal web development services. They can expedite the process of matching modules to your requirements, providing valuable guidance. Choosing the most suitable modules tailored to your specific needs serves as a crucial starting point in this process.

Real-World Examples

Gulf Higher Education Institutions Successfully Implementing Drupal

University of Doha for Science and Technology

The University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), previously known as The College of the North Atlantic, is Qatar's first National Applied University offering applied Bachelor's degrees and Master’s degrees in addition to certificates and diplomas in various fields.

UDST chose Vardot to design a modern infrastructure and migrate their Sharepoint 2013 site to an optimized Drupal CMS, hosted on Microsoft Azure. As they were in the middle of a rebranding exercise, the new site was created in parallel, with the final designs tying the two processes together.

Using Drupal CMS Vardot was able to build UDST a modular Drupal site customized to engage each of their unique user groups, state-of-the-art information architecture, and an engaging user interface, the UDST now has an easy-to-maintain CMS that enables them to scale with their audience and deliver an unprecedented user journey. Take a tour!

Deliver an Unprecedented User Experience with Drupal for Higher-Education

Drupal has solidified its position as the preferred Content Management System (CMS) for higher education institutions, with an impressive 71% of the world's top 100 universities, including renowned names like MIT, Stanford, and the University of Oxford, choosing Drupal for their web platforms, thanks to its scalability, flexibility, security, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. Being open-source, Drupal enjoys the expertise of a large community of developers and users. Varbase, Vardot’s enhanced Drupal distribution, adds several essential functionalities and modules, such as multilingual support, to Drupal’s already massive library of templates and modules. The modules are always up-to-date and follow major security and accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.0. Additionally, Varbase supports multisite functionality, allowing you to create all the microsites you need to deliver a personalized user experience across user groups while still managing everything through a single, centralized CMS. 

A thriving higher education website is not only crucial for attracting and engaging prospective students but also plays a pivotal role in retaining them. Ensuring a seamless, all-encompassing experience for accessing resources and support is essential in promoting student retention. Constructing a university website that effectively engages diverse user groups poses a challenge. If you find yourself uncertain about where to begin, reach out to us for a prompt consultation and embark on your transformation journey today!