[Pisa, October 11, 2024] – The DIRASA project recently did its second field visit and best practice exchange in Europe at the University of Pisa, following the previous visit to the University of Pavia. This visit, focused on best practices in strategic monitoring and research management performance, highlighted the strengths of this prestigious institution.

Key takeaways from the visit
Over the two-day visit, October 10-11, discussions covered a range of topics from research management and incentive policies to the university’s best practices in quality, sustainability, and international collaboration, revealing numerous exemplary practices, including:

• Tailored support services: Participants learned about various services provided to support researchers throughout their projects, from securing funding to maximizing research outcomes.
• A comprehensive approach to research: The University of Pisa demonstrated an integrated approach to research, combining scientific excellence, societal impact, and international collaboration.
• Integrated quality approach: The university has implemented a rigorous quality assurance system to ensure excellence in both research and teaching activities.
• A culture of innovation: Pisa promotes innovation and risk-taking, evidenced by numerous ambitious research projects in key fields such as energy transition and sustainability.

Immersion in the heart of Pisan research
Beyond theoretical exchanges, participants had the opportunity to visit the prestigious E. Piaggio Center, a hub of interdisciplinary research excellence. They also toured the University of Pisa’s Departments of Earth Sciences, Biology, and Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery. Direct exchanges with researchers and administrators allowed participants to explore scientific advancements in these fields, ask questions, share experiences, and identify potential future collaborations.

Benefits for Tunisian universities
These exchanges helped to identify major strategies to enhance scientific research processes in Tunisia and to create a research environment that is more open, innovative, and better suited to the challenges of the 21st century. Participants specifically mentioned:

• Strengthening researcher exchanges to foster collaborative project development.
• Establishing joint training programs to enhance researchers’ skills.
• Sharing data and best practices to accelerate the shift toward a more open and collaborative research environment.

Toward a strategic monitoring cell in Tunisia
Enriched by these fruitful exchanges, participants are better equipped for future work in the project and support researchers and their institutions in the pursuit of excellence. The visit marked another key step in preparing Tunisian universities for the future development of strategic monitoring cells, which will aim to assist research teams in positioning for project calls and evaluating the university’s research performance.

Next Steps
The third and final field visit will take place at the University of Rouen Normandy in late November 2024. This visit will explore the specifics of the French model of strategic monitoring and strengthen exchanges between the project partners.

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