The University of Rennes is a member of EDUC alliance, a project selected by the European Commission in July 2019, as one of the first 17 European Universities.
The universities member of the alliance are :
- Potsdam University, project coordinator (Germany)
- Université Paris-Nanterre (France)
- Masaryk University (Czech Republic), historical partner of University of Rennes, notably through the double degree in Public Administration
- University of Cagliari (Italy)
- University of Pécs (Hungary)
- Jaume I University (Spain)
- University of South-Eastern Norway (Norway)
Focused on pedagogical innovation enabled by digital tools, and on the reinforcement of European identity among students and staff, this project is receiving €5M in European funding, in order to implement the first actions of the project within the next three years, and is also receiving additionnal funds from some member states, such as France, with €1M from the PIA3 (Programme Investissement d’Avenir/ Investiment for the Future).
European Universities initiative aims at creating new transnational campuses, and, for each of them, to carry out an innovative project.
The EDUC - European Digital UniverCity alliance -, finds its specificity on diversification of mobilities and pedagogical innovation, significatively increased thanks to new technologies. It also has to be seen as a ground for experimentation, to bring responses to what University could be in 2030 and beyond.
Toward 50% of EDUC students doing a mobility, whether physical, short, virtual or blended
Diversity of mobilities available in the frame of the EDUC project, among which short, virtual and blended mobilities, aims at going towards 50% of students of the alliance doing a mobility during their curriculum, making mobility more accessible for students that may encounter various barriers, among which financial, or for which a short academic/research mobility or virtual classes could integrate better their study path.
This variety of options will enable the student to customize its curriculum, adding to its study path transdisciplinary courses (in english or in the language of the member university), online courses, short mobilities lasting few days, virtual classes, internship or gap year... Making for instance possible, for a student in a Sciences to follow a course in Human sciences in another university.
Furthermore, relevant services in the partner universities will collaborate in order to harmonize their procedures, and thus making the physical mobilities easier, including students with disabilities or special needs, in all the member universities.
The University of Rennes, leader of an innovative pedagogy on a European scale
Among the missions of the University of Rennes in the EDUC project, the implementation of virtual courses in order to constitute « e-scenarios », will enable for instance students located in the various member universities, to collaborate together on a on a common subject and sharie their results.
This experimentation, via a virtual courses offer, will be implemented at the University of Rennes by the SUPTICE, the University service for Online pedagogy, in partnership with several Digital start-up companies, Klaxoon in Rennes, as well as Videoken and Linkr.
Digital is at the core of EDUC project : virtual mobilities will enable students, as well as academic and non-academic staff, in the whole alliance, to get access to a set of training and online courses, thus creating a pan-European virtual study space, in which will collaborate students and teachers, notably via an common online platform.
Collaboration between students will also be boosted by blended mobility (both physical and virtual) via a problem-based pedagogical approach: after working together remotely on a common subject, groups of EDUC students selected will be able to meet physically during one week, at one of the member universities’, in order to pratice on the ground their results .
Development of teaching, staff and research collaborations
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Development of community of practice for EDUC teachers
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Experimentation of new pedagogies will be facilitated with the shared experience, notably concerning the transnational pedagogical innovations that have already been previously implemented by some members. Teachers will be able to share their experience and collaborate inside a community of practice, on the model of the communities of practice of EIT Digital Network in Rennes, and the Collaborative Online International Learning Network (COIL) between Potsdam and the State University of New York.
EDUC project will include trainings for teachers, for the use of NICTs, with the implementation of a dedicated « EDUC academy », wich will be based notably on professionnal trainings provided at EIT Digital of Rennes campus. Students will also be part of the project, via workshops that will gather their expectations and needs.
- Research collaborations on a European scale
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The European Digital UniverCity alliance will enable, besides boosting student mobilities, to foster research collaborations in identified fields.
Already existing bilateral cooperations between two member universities or more will be developped, and new ones will be initiated on the alliance scale, and opened to all members.
One of the main challenges of our universities is to maintain the attractivity of research careers, which has to be done from the beginning of the curricula. For this reason, students will be, from the bachelor level, sensitized to the issues related to Research. A specific online programme, « Critical thinking in Research and beyond » (elaborated by the University of Rennes), to possibly be conbined with short research mobility . These short one-week internships, will enable students to get more familiar with the world of research, via observation, or in order to their research hypothesis previously made during virtual classes.
Virtual Research mobility will also take the form of transnational Journal clubs classes for Master students, in which researchers and students will discuss on research activities linked to the seven topics defined by the alliance.
Besides, physical mobility of Phd students will be encouraged, via mobility grants, in order to participate to joint research seminars.
- Collaborations between university services : non-academic staff mobility
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Non-academic staff will have access to trainings provided by member universities . These training courses can be intensive language courses, participation to seminars, or job shadowing. Physical staff (short) mobility will be boosted, notably via job jadowing, for which EDUC staff will beneficiate from Erasmus + grants after being selected by their home institution.
Beyond the professional experience and skills development, -which will also be possible via online resources -, like for student virtual moblities, these staff mobilities also aims at enhancing intercultural skills.
