Projektlaufzeit: 09/2020 - 12/2023

Ziel des Kooperationsprojektes „Symbiosis methods for Automotive and Digitalization Sectors in Tunisia between higher education and industry for advanced labour market-orientation of graduates", kurz „SmartHeads“, ist es, Maßnahmen zum Aufbau und zur Intensivierung des industriellen Einflusses auf die Hochschulstruktur in Tunesien durch Kooperationen und Wissenstransfer zu untersuchen, zu initiieren und zu realisieren.

Durch die Schließung der Lücke zwischen der eher theoretischen Hochschulausbildung und der praxisorientierten Industrie sorgt das Projekt dafür, dass die Ausbildung an den Hochschulen den Anforderungen und Entwicklungen des Arbeitsmarktes besser gerecht wird und führt letztlich zu einer Stärkung des Wirtschaftsstandortes Tunesien im Allgemeinen.

Academic and Scientific Exchange (engl.)

Since 2015, professor Derbel is continuously intensifying international cooperation with research partners from France, Italy, Spain and North Africa. Under his lead, more than 70 students and 8 PhDs of different disciplines and degrees have been supervised and trained in practise-orientated subjects this way. The variety of topics ranges from IoT, 5G, WakeUp-Receiver, facility management, machine diagnostics, deep learning, and artificial intelligence all the way to smart grids, state estimation, PMUs and power line load calibration. The newest project, SmartHeads, aims to integrate a growing industrial influence to the activities. In this context, EU projects are being initiated.

SmartHeads aims to investigate, initiate and realise measures to build up and intensify industrial influence on the higher education structure in Tunisia by means of cooperation and knowledge transfer. By closing the gap between the more theoretical higher education and the practice-oriented industry, especially in the automotive industry and digital economy, the project ensures that training at universities better meets the requirements and developments of the labour market and ultimately leads to strengthening the business location Tunisia in general. In addition, (international) collaborations are meant to be started to further increase the interest from European companies towards the African continent. In doing so, SmartHeads directly contributed to the goals of the Marshall Plan with Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, especially in terms of education and innovation, and counteracts the “brain train”.