A large number of colleges, fine arts institutions and universities are currently offering courses in media art, media design and in media theory. For this reason, there is a growing demand for international dialogue and cooperation. In November 2004, the Dutch Electronic Art Festival organized a colloquium with the title ‘Open Alliances' attended by representatives from various Dutch institutions to discuss their experiences with interdisciplinary projects and their cooperation with higher-education, industry and research institutes. This forum will also be taking place during transmediale.05 with a focus on the conceptual and technical fundamentals of media education. What role does technical material play for the development of curriculum and to what extent is our understanding of media culture dependent upon the continually growing demands of software and hardware? Is media education ‘doomed to upgrade'?