GAMEland and AIR in Nice for the BIP “Enhancing Internationalisation through Digitalisation”
From June 16 to 20, 2025, the teams from the European projects AIR Demoes (Augmenting Interactions in Rennes) and GAMEland actively participated in the Digital Week and the Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) hosted by Université Côte d’Azur in Nice. This edition, focused on digital transformation as a catalyst for the internationalisation of higher education, brought together over 250 participants from 35 different universities to share innovative projects, immersive teaching practices, and cross-border collaborations.
A conference to contextualise two ambitious European projects
On the morning of Wednesday 18 June, the team from Rennes 2 University presented a conference entitled ‘The Challenges of Internationalization at Home and Behind the Scenes of Two European Projects (AIR and GAMEland)’. Christine Evain and Élisabeth Richard highlighted the dynamics of internationalisation at home and the practical challenges encountered when implementing these European projects. The presentation provided a clear framework for understanding the synergies between AIR and GAMEland, two complementary initiatives focusing on the use of digital technology, AI and gamification to promote intercultural learning and exchange.
Christine Evain presenting the projects on June 18th
An interactive workshop on virtual worlds and game-based learning
On the afternoon of June 18, Madelyn Lines and Dolly Ramella co-hosted an immersive workshop entitled “Beyond Borders: Engaging International Audiences in Virtual Worlds”, which brought together the AIR and GAMEland teams. Participants were introduced to the virtual world created as part of the AIR project, featuring conversational bots designed to stimulate interaction. They then discovered the two main outputs of the GAMEland project: the digital escape game “Alice in GAMEland” and the “Talking Map Scenarios”, two playful and interactive tools aimed at strengthening intercultural competence and learner collaboration.
The workshop, both theoretical and hands-on, generated strong interest, particularly through live demonstrations and discussions about designing immersive learning environments.
Photo taken during Madelyn Lines' et Dolly Ramella's workshop.
Greater visibility during the poster session
On Thursday morning, AIR and GAMEland were once again in the spotlight during the digital poster session, alongside other innovative projects. This session offered visitors the opportunity to (re)discover the goals, results, and future directions of both projects, in a format conducive to idea sharing and networking.
Elisabeth Richard, Christine Evain and Madelyn Lines in front of the GAMEland poster.
A collaborative and enriching experience
The AIR and GAMEland teams would like to express their sincere thanks to the BIP organisers—Djibril Dieng, Chandan Atreya, and Virginie Oddo—for their warm welcome and the excellent organisation. They also highlight the richness of the programme, the relevance of the presentations—particularly those on virtual exchange, COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), and gamification in education—and the many opportunities for collaboration that emerged throughout the event.
This BIP proved to be an outstanding platform for exchange, reflection, and co-creation around the challenges of global education in the digital age. The AIR and GAMEland teams left Nice inspired, energised, and more determined than ever to pursue their shared mission: making learning more accessible, engaging, and globally connected.
Djibril Dieng, Christine Evain and Madelyn Lines.
To learn more about the AIR project, feel free to read the article written by Dolly Ramella.
To discover the GAMEland project, visit its website via the following link.