Door, within the University of Reunion, by the Indianoceanic Institute of Digital (IIN), This project is the first to build the digital twin of a French university. Offering online courses and diplomas to obtain remotely, UNR is today a development in development.
The meeting, research and development laboratory : New proof is given with the digital university of Reunion (UNR), who is building a digital double from the physical university. This e-training platform, Developed in the University of Reunion, offers a modular offer made up of online à la carte and certifying or diploma courses, Supervised by teacher-researchers from the University of Reunion. Playing a role of clearing in new e-learning practices, The UNR modifies the relationship to knowledge by extending it to "all, throughout life "thanks to the digital tool. The innovation of this model is also in equality and inclusiveness that it allows. A dozen other French universities develop structured digital components, But none has been so far in what is akin to a digital twin still in the childhood of its development. As it is, This experimental project launched in 2020, whose e-training portal was officially opened in 2022 for the 40th anniversary of the University of Reunion, is unique.
The first floor of the rocket
Three years later, UNR has built what Christophe Porlier, Vice-president in charge of digital, User and artificial intelligence of the University of Reunion and deputy director of the Indianoceanic Institute of Digital, calls "the first floor of the rocket", to know : an operational portal of high ergonomic and information, Offering about 1,000 hours of online lessons (MOOC and courses filmed on board), Training certificates validating skills and nine diploma training… Nearly 3,000 users are registered and more than 50,000 Internet users follow its news on social networks. Opening to as many people as possible is one of its missions, And the UNR has launched a web TV already having more than 450 shows to its credit, including popularization talks proposed by teacher-researchers on the most diverse subjects (among the last, AI and higher education, Contemporary China, Martial arts ...).
A user -centered model
"The Reunion Digital University is an innovation model under development, describes Christophe Porlier. Centered on the user, It is intended to gradually constitute a lifelong training offer. Its resources are free or paid. It is for all audiences, in particular audiences with specific needs, prevented from moving for various reasons, to which it gives access to courses, certifications and diplomas, as well as digital resources, Online knowledge. It offers a unique search engine allowing access to all national resources of thematic digital universities, channel-U, of the video library of higher education and France Digital University, The national Mooc platform. »We can see it too, in the meeting, A response to mobility and decarbonization questions. Artificial intelligence (IA), she, He opens the doors of the world, "With in perspective multilingual routes with virtual tutorials". "The AI will allow the future to design highly qualitative educational courses and provide new possibilities of individualization of training courses according to the needs of users", specifies Christophe Porlier.
An internal start-up
The UNR is also to be considered as an innovation approach within a public structure. "We are a small dynamic team of a dozen people bringing together various skills. We operate a bit like a start-up within the University. Being small gives us autonomy and flexibility, while being in line with the expectations of the establishment's governance ", observes Véronique Sébastien, Information systems administrator, Research and innovation manager. The University of Reunion, With this UNR project, brought to light the embryo of a dedicated ecosystem, Composed of private partners, especially technological, who supports him in his development.
A great tool at the service of the university
The basics to build the second floor of the rocket are therefore laid. Define an economic model between free courses and paid training, Continue to develop the teaching offer, Better adapt content to the demand of users, give the possibility of individualized journeys, These are some of the orientations for the next phase. Supported by the Reunion region, The University of Reunion has, To create this project, benefited from European funding for the Feder for Higher Education and Research. The new mandate, Following the election to the presidency of the university of the meeting of the professor of economics Jean-François Hoarau, must now set his new strategic project, especially for digital, Artificial uses and intelligence. For Christophe Porlier, "The University of Reunion, thanks to this UNR project, has a great tool at the service of these ambitions ".
