The student time in this challenge will be approximately 45 hours, with 30 hours of "classes" (onsite or online) with knowledge transfer, practical work and team work.   

The challenge includes 2 synchronous online sessions in the beginning and one session at the end of the challenge when the results are presented to the challenge provider. For the students choosing the option of the mobility week (week 4), there will of course be a number of synchronous and on-site activities, like visiting INSA and the labs, the university hospital and the challenger providers offices in Toulouse.   

The challenge will be carried out in small, intercultural and interdisciplinary teams. They will have to work together, but can agree on their time schedule and will work asynchronously during the challenge.  

Assessment will be divided in formative assessments during the challenge with small tasks to be done and a sommative assessment at the end of the challenge in the form of the prototype of the connected smart e-bike of the group and a presentation in English in front of a panel.

CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a document that summarizes your educational and professional history. It must provide a detailed overview of your academic and work experience, skills, achievements, and qualifications.

Motivation letter is a personal statement and it might include a brief introduction of yourself, explanation why are you interested in the learning opportunity you are applying to, any relevant experience or skills that you have, your goals and how this opportunity will help you achieve them, This document should not be more than 400 words.

Motivation Letter

Transcript of Records is an official document issued by your home university. It specifies the name of the institution, the academic programme you are enrolled in, the list of courses taken up until the current period, the exams or tests you passed, the grades and the credits you earned. 

Transcript of Records

INSA Group

VESACCO: Smart e-bikes for health and green travel

Resilient communities

Transport and Mobility

Inter-personal skills

Have you ever wanted to know more about how blood sugar and blood pressure is measured?  This micromodule focuses on digital health and uses innovative teaching  tools to focus on connected health devices, remote medical monitoring and the surveillance of human health at home or in a medical environment. It will enable a wide audience to discover the world of digital health, which is particularly interesting for students who will have a  link with healthcare in their future professional life, but also for everybody interested in health.

Students will work in multidisciplinary and intercultural teams to discover medical monitoring systems, the assembly of a virtual  reality object (electronic card), and the transmission and  analysis of medical data. Volunteers will be equipped with a blood sugar or pressure device to interpret their own data.  The students will choose in international teams  the sensor they would like to work on (blood sugar or blood pressure sensor).  They will produce 3D scans of the device and learn the basis of 3D modelling of an object. They will also disassemble their device in virtual reality.   The work can be done fully online, but a mobility week is proposed to allow international students to do practical work onsite at INSA Toulouse.

CARE (Medical Connected Sensors and Virtual Reality)

Discover medical monitoring systems, the transmission and analysis of medical data, and disassemble a sensor using VR

Entrepreneurship, technology and innovation

The content of the module is divided into three parts:

1. Methodological lessons weeks 1 to 3
2. A 10-week Challenge
3. A final presentation and personal report on the learning experience (CBL approach)

The three elements are described below:

Method package:

Week1 (W1) – W3

- Design thinking & Challenge Thinking
- Pitching, innovation
- Intercultural competences
- Interdisciplinary approaches

W4 (3-7th of March): Open Week (optional): Hosting ECIU students for discussion, industrial visit, on-site visit, workshops on CBL and sustainable cities with experts

Challenge: W2 – W11:

- Brainstorming ideas for challenges
- Finding teams with common interest for a challenge and different Foursight profiles
- Write an essay with your motivation for the challenge (250 words) - Apply for a challenge or define a challenge
- Engage in the challenge as a team through Design Thinking methods - Define the main users of your potential answer to your challenge
- Investigate the possible outcomes of the challenge based on the user's needs
- Choose a proposal as an answer to your challenge
- Define in detail your proposal for a more sustainable city

Oral exam: W12: Presentation of the challenge, the final proposal to solve the challenge and the different steps which have led to the proposal.

Pedagogy: face-to-face, hybrid, distance learning for the method package, and hybrid for the challenge approach.

Green Innovators

Transform Your Campus

Energy and sustainability

Critical and innovative thinking

This module is structured in two main parts, covering two important aspects of quantum computing: communication and computation.

The communication part focuses on a secure quantum communication protocol, BB84. You'll be asked to understand and implement this protocol, and even to experiment with an actual demonstrator. The computation part introduces all the basic building blocks of computation, focusing on the Grover search algorithm. This search algorithm makes an explicit link with classical computing while demonstrating the advantages of quantum computers.

By the end of this module, you will have acquired a basic knowledge of quantum computing and communication that we hope will motivate you to take the next step into this dynamic field of computer science.

Quantum Communication and Computing

A Short Introduction

• Skills to be Gained: Master the TRIZ methodology through the FINDER platform, learn how to utilize cutting-edge AI technologies (GPT-4, deep learning, GANs, NLP), and develop advanced problem-solving techniques.

• AI’s Impact on the Targeted Field: Gain insights into how AI and LLMs enhance innovation processes and streamline the creation of groundbreaking solutions in industrial settings.

• Practical Application of Theoretical Knowledge: You will work hands-on with FINDER to tackle real-world challenges, applying TRIZ and AI technologies such as GPT-4 and GANs to generate actionable, industry-ready solutions.

• Interdisciplinary and International Collaboration: FINDER facilitates global teamwork and cross-sector cooperation, enabling participants to collaborate remotely with peers and industry experts.

TRIZ and AI-Driven Innovation

Unlock Advanced Problem-Solving at the Intersection of TRIZ, AI, and Industrial Revolution

**Detailed program**

Online sessions (02/17/2025– 03/24/2025)

• 02/17/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Kick-off meeting (description of the challenge, presentation of the teamchers, the challenge provider, introduction of the topic of atmospheric pollution and odour)

• 02/24/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Guest speakers – Part 1: About air quality and atmospheric pollution (R. Duarte, University of Aveiro). Part 2: Citizen science and how to reach a community? (G. Santinha, University of Aveiro)

• 03/03/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Challenge provider, Atmo – Approaches to evaluate odours, the language of odours.

• 03/10/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Team Working + Guest speaker from the European council\* – Why and how to put regulations around air quality? Feedback about the addition of odours in the definition of air pollution and in the regulations.

• 03/24/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Team Working

\*Please note that the content of the session is subjected to change

Suggested sub-topics to be studied:

- Sub-topic 1: Context & regulations

- Sub-topic 2: Odours

- Sub-topic 3: Citizen engagement

Onsite sessions (04/07/2025 – 04/11/2025 at INSA Rouen, France, the capital of Impressionism and only 1 hour 15 minutes from Paris by train!

• 04/07/2025 (09:00 – 17:00): Reception, meeting and teamwork + virtual reality on air quality

• 04/08/2025 (09:00 – 17:00): Team working + Atmo animation on the theme of sense discovery, with an introduction to the methodology of the nose language

• 04/08/2025 (18:00-20:00): follow training with citizens in Rouen about the recognition of odours.

• 04/09/2025 (09:00 – 17:00): Team Working + meeting with industrial players in the metropolitan area.

• 04/10/2025 (09:00 – 17:00): Team working + Atmo station visit in Rouen city center

• 04/11/2024 (09:00 – 17:00): Team working + presentation of the results via a poster with a jury composed of teamchers and experts - Deliverable 1

All materials, meals and visits are offered to the students participating in this challenge.

Online sessions (04/15/2025 – 04/29/2025)

• 04/15/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Team Working on poster updates – Deliverable 2

• 04/22/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Team working on the study

• 04/29/2025 (18:30 - 20:00): Presentation of the study to be used by the student on a panel of 30-50 persons at their home university- Deliverable 3- Evaluation and assessment - Concluding remarks on the Challenge.

Member universities may require additional information from applicants. Please read the application information section carefully and include any extra required information in this section.

Other

Atmospheric Pollution and Odour Management in European Cities: Where Are We?

Towards a global and uniform approach to support air quality management with and for citizens

In a unique online environment, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, you will be learners from different countries working together in French on 2 projects:

- Discovering Lyon in France and many other cities

- Studying here and there.

A French tutor will guide through a wide range of activities that will help you realize your project in groups encouraging you to use French.

For example, the class will encourage you to talk about yourself, to describe a city, to share your points of interests in a city, to talk about your learning environment, your studies, your friends, the food, your night outs and so forth.

It will focus on an intercultural approach putting things in perspective.

It will also give you tools for a future international experience or exchange.

Language Studies - French (A2 Level)

Participate in an interactive online A2 level French class

Language learning

Global citizenship

Are you eager to navigate the rich tapestry of European languages and cultures, enhancing your communication skills and intercultural competence? If so, this micro-module is designed for you!

In this engaging and dynamic course, you will explore the fascinating concept of intercomprehension – the ability to understand a language without having studied it formally. This skill is invaluable in our interconnected world, where grasping multiple languages opens doors to diverse opportunities. You’ll delve into 12 languages, including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Catalan, Romanian, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, tailoring your learning to match your linguistic background.

But it’s not just about languages. This module immerses you in the cultural nuances that shape communication and worldviews. Working in multilingual and multicultural teams, you will gain hands-on experience in collaborative projects, enhancing your intercultural awareness. You’ll also get the chance to participate in a unique escape game that will challenge you to apply everything you've learned in a fun, interactive setting.

Throughout the course, you’ll maintain a reflective journal to track your progress and insights, enhancing your self-reflection skills. This practice will help you critically evaluate your learning process and adapt your strategies for better outcomes.

By the end of this module, you will have strengthened your linguistic abilities and your capacity to work effectively in diverse teams, a skill highly valued in today’s globalised job market. Join us and embark on a journey that will expand your horizons, deepen your cultural understanding, and equip you with practical skills for the future.

Intercomprehension and Intercultural Skills in Romance and Germanic Languages

Understand Languages You Have Never Learnt in an Intercultural Context

Intra-personal skills

This challenge will put you in the shoes of engineers working in a creative design office who create products in response to briefs given by local industrial players. You will be divided into multi-disciplinary teams competing to address a topical issue. At the end of in-person sessions, you'll present your project to a panel of experts and be eligible for an entrepreneurship prize (usually access to a pre-incubation pathway).

The theme for this challenge is “Together on every pitch”, echoing France's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2024. There are three main themes, each associated with a challenge provider:

- Sport Tourism & Territory (Mission Bassin Minier)
- Corporate sport (Toyota motors - Toyotomi)
- Sport for all (Decathlon)

During the in-person week of the challenge, you will follow the schedule below:

- Day 1 - At the start of the challenge, you will interact and conduct interviews with professionals, users and stakeholders. You will gather as much information as possible to contribute to your creative process.
- Day 2-3 - As a team, you will then define your target, the specifications and the objectives of your innovative project, using the design thinking methodology.
- Days 3-4 - You will then  propose a preliminary project and convince people of its relevance and feasibility by providing original technical solutions (supported by a prototype, mock-ups, a budget, etc.)
- Day 5- Each team will present its innovative project to a panel of experts.

Designing Innovative Engineering Solutions for Sports Practice

Five-day innovation challenge to create new products and services.

The challenge aims to **set up the key points in a frugal construction project**, from design to implementation.

It’s divided into **3 parts involving :**

1. studying documents and attending lectures on bioclimatic design, eco-materials and energy,
2. autonomous group work and in-depth study of a chosen topic,
3. concrete contact with the material through on-site participation in a school building site in west of France, producing a draft of a construction project.

---

The ECIU participants must sign up for the three phases of the project, and they will **work in teams** with **students from INSA Rennes**and **students from Brittany’s national architecture High School (ENSAB)**.

---

If you need more information, please contact the teachers : 

[Cecile.Holzner-Jacques@insa-rennes.fr](mailto:Cecile.Holzner-Jacques@insa-rennes.fr) 

[pascal.dupont@insa-rennes.fr](mailto:pascal.dupont@insa-rennes.fr)  

The module is supervised by a research professor of eco-design from INSA Rennes, and research professors in eco-materials, bioclimatic architecture, sustainable urban planning and home automation.

On-site, the students work with all the professionals involved in the project.

Frugal building - from design to implementation

Would you like to take part in an eco-design project to build a school in Brittany, in the west of France?

Media and information literacy

The Smart Machining micromodule is designed to equip you with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in the field of advanced manufacturing. By taking this micromodule, you will delve into the sophisticated techniques that underpin smart machining.

The course is divided in two parts: three modules of 6 hours each and a project for analysing the experimental data. Each module is composed of 2 hours of online classes and 4 hours of assignment with the professor. The project is composed of 8 hours of synchronous work and the students should be able to work on the project between each week to evaluate its personal task in the group. The evaluation is part based on the assignments and part on the project work. By the end of the module, we expect that the students are convinced that the data can be useful to improve productivity on industry in practice.

By the end of the module, students will possess an understanding of smart machining technologies and their practical applications. This knowledge will empower them to contribute to the advancement of manufacturing processes, making them valuable assets to any industry focused on innovation and efficiency. The skills acquired in this course will prepare students for roles in advanced manufacturing, process optimization, and industrial automation, positioning them at the forefront of the smart manufacturing revolution.

Industry 4.0: Smart Machining

Analysing and improving the industrial machining process

By taking part in this challenge with the international company ACTIA, you participate in an ambitious project driven by the need to imagine new way of moving in metropolises for a more sustainable society. By engaging with international experts, you will explore solutions based on new technology with the possibility to make a real demonstration on an innovative electrically assisted tricycle. 

Are you a student in computer science, telecommunications, or electronics? If you are, then this challenge is for you with rich seminars on the topic of smart mobility, advanced technologies for localization, communication and service with the opportunity to work with an international team not only with teachers and researchers but also with concerned industrial and startup.

So become an actor of the new usage of shared vehicles for a sustainable society.

Shared Access for Family Electrically-Assisted Tricycle

Using Ultra Wide Band Technology - A new way for smart mobility

This micromodule is directly linked to the MINATO Summer School, taking place in Toulouse in summer 2024, which will introduce you to micro and nano fabrication techniques with a hands-on interdisciplinary approach that alternates basic lectures with experimental activities. The micromodule will thus develop knowledge of all the concepts needed for the Summer School: [https://www.aime-toulouse.fr/summer-school-minato/](https://www.aime-toulouse.fr/summer-school-minato/) during which you will participate in the micro and nano fabrication and characterization of your own functioning device using clean room facilities. Key topics will be microelectronics, solar cells, micro-super condensators, gas sensors, and 2D material-based devices.

Minato summer school module on micro nano technologies

Micro and Nano-fabrication tools for innovating applied electronics and fundamental research

In a unique online environment, 50% synchronous and 50% asynchronous, you will be learners from different countries working together in French on 2 projects:

- Discovering Lyon in France and many other cities

- Studying here and there.

A French tutor will guide through a wide range of activities that will help you realize your project in groups encouraging you to use French.

For example, the class will encourage you to talk about yourself, to describe a city, to share your points of interests in a city, to talk about your learning environment, your studies, your friends, the food, your night outs etc.

This micromodule will focus on an intercultural approach that will help you put the things you learn into an international perspective. It will thus give you tools for a future international experience or exchange.

Member university

INSA Group

Member university

INSA Group

Learning opportunities of INSA Group