Drawing on CRI's emblematic expertise, tools and innovation-friendly environment, IDD develops programs to shape the University of tomorrow and equip it to meet the major challenges of our time.
The Challenge Institute, co-created by Université de Paris & CRI
The Institut des Défis (IDD) was co-founded by the CRI and theUniversity of Paris to initiate a transformation of the University of Paris in line with Sustainable Development Objectives (ODD). The IDD is part of the Initiatives d'Excellence (Idex Université de Paris) supported by the French government's Programme d'investissements d'avenir (PIA).
Emmanuelle Donnard, Project Manager for the Institut des Défis and the University of Paris, describes the role of the institute as follows: “.“The aim of the IDD is to develop action deliverables to help the university move towards greater sustainability. Actions are the programs we deploy, “deliverables” because they are documented and therefore reproducible.”The IDD develops and experiments with digital programs and tools for university students, teachers and researchers at the University of Paris.
These deliverables should eventually be implemented and deployed on a wider scale within the University of Paris.
Leveraging CRI's emblematic expertise
“It makes sense for the IDD to be backed by the CRI.” In fact, the team relies in particular on the methodologies proposed by CRI over many years: a dynamic “well-honed”A place for research, prototyping and collective intelligence. .
“CRI is a pioneering institution in educational innovation. The Institut des Défis benefits from CRI's environment and energy. Like the CRI, it is a lively metabolism, a place for questioning, adapting and learning. It's a place of creativity, at the service of the Sustainable Development Goals. For those who join us (teachers, researchers, project leaders, etc.), it's also a place where they can experiment and put their ideas into practice.”
With this in mind, IDD created the U-lab, A residency for researchers conceived as an artist's residency, where teacher-researchers come to prototype new teaching methods, through games, challenges and research, including participatory science.
The principle, already in place at CRI, has now been integrated into IDD. “As the IDD is housed at the CRI, U-Lab teachers benefit from this environment. We provide not only the space, but also the human resources needed to prototype these innovative teaching projects. More than just logistical support, we draw on our expertise and tools, particularly digital ones (collaborative platforms from Projects and WeLearn) and CRI's social engineering to develop the programs.”
The CRI expertise on which the IDD is based :
- networks partners
- watch and international benchmark (#LearningPlanet, which recognizes innovative commitments to education around the world)
- know-how (research, prototyping, innovative teaching, creation of collaborative projects)
- digital tools (WeLearn, Projects, Skills)
Transforming the university to have an impact on tomorrow's society
“Societal challenges are so complex that, to meet them, we need to develop interdisciplinary cooperation. Only then will creative solutions emerge.”
The university develops a scientific and cultural heritage through the production and dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of all. But the University also has a social responsibility to demonstrate and exemplify. “The transformation of the university must serve as an example for societal transformation.”
4 areas of work
The IDD has broken down its transformation proposal into four main areas of work. These are deployed in some fifteen programs, aimed at all university stakeholders.
Axis 1 - digital
Axis 2 - pedagogy
Axis 3 - research and participatory science
Axis 4 - International
Some examples of current programs
- Challenge Lab
This program is aimed at project leaders in continuing education, and currently supports 13 participants through to prototyping. Project leaders develop their creativity and commitment through collaborative design thinking methodologies and practical exchanges.
Example of a project under development:
- An educational trail to educate the population of the island of Groix in the preservation of their ecosystem, as well as the creation of workshops for children to raise their awareness of the protection of the island's biodiversity.
- Pair-Accompanier
Research program developed with SAPIENS which brings together pairs of teacher-researchers and students. These pairs are examining a fundamental question in pedagogy: “how do we learn?”.
These three programs are U-lab, Pairs Accompagnateurs and Labo des défis, even though they are aimed at different audiences; teachers, researchers and civil society meet regularly to exchange and share their experiences.
At the end of these experimental programs, students, researchers and teachers will return to the university, to their own community of peers and, we hope, to spread the practices and knowledge they have developed within the IDD programs to others.
