The University of Strasbourg hosted a delegation of eight Algerian participants for the second study visit of the IPTICAR project to Strasbourg. It was an intensive week, driven by a single conviction: internationalization is steered through a clear digital strategy, a networked operational model, and data-driven governance.
Hailing from the three regional conferences (East, Central, and West) and representing pilot institutions and local internationalization units, the participants came to understand how a large multidisciplinary university transforms an institutional need into an indicator, a dashboard, and a sustainable digital tool. They also sought to inform the ongoing development of specifications tailored to the Algerian context.
A digital strategy: the backbone of internationalization
A central theme throughout the week was the structural role of digital technology. Guided by the Digital Department (DNUM), the delegation explored the entire lifecycle from business need to solution: defining and prioritizing needs, functional and technical specifications, information system architecture, application interoperability, access rights management, security, and GDPR compliance. One message was emphasized repeatedly: a digital tool is only valuable if it is designed from the outset to be maintainable, secure, and sustainable. Efficiency, scalability, and data protection are not optional extras but fundamental prerequisites.
On the operational side, the International Relations Department (DRI) demonstrated how this digital strategy translates into concrete practice, managing agreements, projects, and incoming and outgoing mobility, using tools such as MoveON, ESCI, and Smile+ (developed with Unistra acting as a pilot institution). This provided a striking example of how a practical need in the field evolves into a shared feature, provided there is close cooperation between operational departments and digital teams. Data-driven management: from information to decision-making
A second key focus was data culture, embodied by the Steering and Continuous Improvement Department (DPAC) and the "Pilotage" (Steering) tool. Participants learned how to build a strategic management framework: selecting relevant indicators; data collection, consolidation, validation, and traceability; visualization via dashboards; and setting up decision-support alerts. The guiding principle, shifting from fragmented to structured, managed, and efficient internationalization, requires treating data as an institutional asset: defining who produces, validates, updates, and reports on it.
This emphasis on data quality and governance aligns directly with IPTICAR’s ambitions: equipping local units with common indicators and shared dashboards to track mobility, partnerships, and international projects, while ultimately feeding into a coherent national management system spanning from individual institutions to the MESRS.
Network-based operation: a prerequisite for sustainability
A third takeaway from the week was that no tool survives without the network that sustains it. Ensuring the long-term viability of a digital solution relies on continuous engagement, focusing on usage, testing, support, documentation, training, and maintenance, driven by a network of business and digital specialists across the institutions. It is this "community of practice" approach, linking central administration, constituent units, local teams, and technical services, that allows the initiative to move beyond the project phase and embed skills for the long term.
A day dedicated to artificial intelligence
A highlight of the week was Wednesday, July 8, which was dedicated to the University of Strasbourg’s AI Day. Conferences and workshops provided an opportunity to explore AI applications in support of internationalization, including international monitoring, partnership analysis, funding opportunity mapping, decision support, and automated reporting, while always keeping in mind the ethical, legal, and organizational frameworks essential for responsible use in higher education.
Focus on the IPTICAR web app and the post-project phase
These three dimensions, digital strategy, data-driven management, and network-based collaboration, converge on a single deliverable: a consolidated set of specifications for governance tools tailored to Algerian institutions, foremost among them the IPTICAR web app. Discussions informed the thinking regarding its features, database, dashboards, maintenance, and handover to the MESRS following the project's conclusion.
By leveraging data, tools, and the network, this second study visit is transforming the project dynamic.