Organised as part of the IPTICAR institutional twinning project, this first study visit brought together Algerian representatives from the higher education and research sectors in Strasbourg.
Its aim was to encourage the exchange of experience between Algerian and French institutions, while giving participants an opportunity to observe how a university ecosystem closely connected to research, innovation, entrepreneurship and the socio-economic environment operates in practice.
The week was structured around five main themes: academic innovation and entrepreneurship, industrial ecology, clusters and territorial ecosystems, European funding, and the organisation of international cooperation and employability within a European university.
Academic innovation, entrepreneurship and research valorisation
The first working day, held at ENGEES, enabled the delegation to discover several regional mechanisms supporting innovation.
Discussions with SATT Conectus Alsace, the SEMIA incubator and Pépite ETENA provided participants with a better understanding of the complementarity between research valorisation, the incubation of innovative projects and support for student entrepreneurship.
Participants were also introduced to the importance of competency frameworks, learning design and international mobility in developing training programmes that respond to changes in the labour market.
This first session highlighted the need for universities to establish structured mechanisms capable of supporting students, researchers and project leaders, from the initial emergence of an idea through to its economic or social valorisation.
Industrial ecology and cooperation between territorial stakeholders
The European Industrial Ecology Day was one of the highlights of the visit.
Universities, companies, public administrations, professional networks and stakeholders involved in the ecological transition came together to discuss models of inter-company cooperation, the circular economy and sustainable territorial development.
An opening conference, presentations by European stakeholders, a round-table discussion and an Industrial Ecology Village illustrated the diversity of actors involved in these dynamics.
The European INSET project was also presented as an example of transnational cooperation that could inspire the development of similar initiatives in Algeria, particularly in the fields of training, industrial symbiosis and support for economic and environmental transitions.
The discussions showed that universities can play a central role in connecting companies, local authorities, researchers and training providers around shared territorial challenges.
Clusters, territorial innovation and European funding
The study visit also provided an opportunity to explore the role of clusters in structuring regional ecosystems.
The presentation by the Pôle Véhicule du Futur demonstrated how a cluster can bring together companies, universities, research centres and public authorities around projects relating to innovation, sustainable mobility and industrial development.
The discussions emphasised the importance of territorial networking, the pooling of expertise and the involvement of companies in defining research, training and innovation strategies.
A specific session was also devoted to the European LIFE programme and the support mechanisms available to institutions wishing to develop projects linked to the ecological transition and territorial innovation.
These meetings encouraged participants to consider the types of partnerships that could be developed between Algerian universities and the socio-economic stakeholders in their regions, including companies, local authorities, clusters, incubators, associations and support organisations.
Structuring international cooperation within universities
The delegation was then welcomed by the International Relations Department of the University of Strasbourg.
This day provided an opportunity to discover how a department specialising in mobility, partnerships, European projects and institutional cooperation is organised.
Participants also met with the Europe and International Projects Unit to discuss mechanisms for connecting researchers, companies, local authorities and public institutions.
These meetings contributed to the reflections undertaken within IPTICAR on the establishment of local units dedicated to internationalisation, project development and innovation within Algerian institutions.
They also highlighted that internationalisation is not limited to student and staff mobility. It requires an institutional structure, specialised expertise, management tools, a partnership strategy and the capacity to mobilise the entire university community.
Stronger links between Algerian participants
Study visits are not only intended to showcase the practices of a partner institution or country. They also provide valuable opportunities for Algerian participants to meet, exchange ideas and cooperate with one another.
The week in Strasbourg enabled representatives from different institutions, regions and professional environments to get to know each other better, compare their experiences and recognise that they face many common challenges.
The working sessions, visits and more informal discussions helped to build lasting relationships and foster the emergence of a genuine community of practice.
This networking dimension is essential for the next stages of the IPTICAR project. It should enable Algerian institutions to pool their experience, share tools, showcase successful initiatives and develop new forms of cooperation together.
From observation to implementation and knowledge transfer
Beyond discovering the initiatives developed in Strasbourg, the study visit had a firmly operational purpose.
The members of the delegation returned to Algeria with a clear mission: to put the lessons learned during the week into practice, develop partnerships with socio-economic stakeholders in their regions and share their experience with their colleagues.
The objective is therefore not simply to replicate the initiatives observed in Strasbourg, but to identify their most relevant principles and adapt them to the realities, priorities and resources of each Algerian institution.
This dynamic also relies on knowledge transfer. Each participant is expected to act as a focal point within their institution and, more broadly, within the Algerian higher education and research ecosystem.
This role is already being fully embraced by several participants, including Sofiane Boudelia, who plays a particularly active role in sharing knowledge and disseminating the project’s achievements. Through his commitment to supporting his colleagues, he contributes to a genuine train-the-trainer approach and to the collective appropriation of the tools and methods presented within the IPTICAR framework.
This capacity to transfer knowledge, bring people together and support other professionals is one of the main conditions for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.
Building a sustainable dynamic
The various discussions should now contribute to the preparation of roadmaps, the identification of future Erasmus+ projects and the development of proposals for structuring international relations units, project development units and entities dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship.
They should also support the implementation of concrete partnerships between Algerian universities, companies and other stakeholders within their territories.
The visit concluded with a synthesis session focusing on cooperation priorities between Algerian institutions and the University of Strasbourg, particularly in the areas of internationalisation, innovation, professionalisation and clusters.
The week therefore strengthened the links between the twinning partners, as well as between the Algerian participants themselves. It consolidated a shared vision of universities that are open to their environment, able to mobilise their partners, transfer acquired knowledge and skills, and play a leading role in economic, scientific and territorial development.