The opening session featured welcome remarks by the Rector of the University, Professor Mourad Meghachou, followed by an intervention via videoconference by Ms. Samira Chader, Deputy Director for Inter-University Cooperation and Exchange, who emphasized the importance of such international projects.

This was followed by a presentation from Mr. Bilal Mneii, representative of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and then a comprehensive online presentation delivered by Mr. Stefano Fabiani, offering an overview of the IPTICAR Project and its role in strengthening the participation of Algerian universities in European funding programs—most notably Horizon Europe, the EU’s largest research and innovation framework programme.

The sessions continued with an in-depth lecture delivered by experts Massimo Gacci and Filiberto Altobelli, addressing the core structure of the Horizon Europe Program, its strategic priorities, international cooperation mechanisms, eligibility criteria, application requirements, and administrative and financial dimensions. The speakers also stressed the critical importance of building international partnerships to enable Algerian universities to integrate effectively into the European research landscape.

In the practical component, experts Stefano Cocchi and Professor Abdelhamid Mellouk led training workshops on the Horizon Europe Partner Search Platform, along with a specialized session on the Logical Framework Approach (LFA)—a key methodology enabling researchers to transform conceptual ideas into coherent, measurable, and implementable research projects.

The first day concluded with a hands-on Open Call Simulation, during which participants were divided into working groups according to their fields of expertise, and assigned topics inspired by open EU–Africa joint calls, under direct supervision from the experts. This exercise aimed to strengthen participants’ ability to design high-quality research proposals aligned with European Union standards.

The training course will continue on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, and Wednesday, 26 November 2025. The second day will be dedicated to deepening the development of project proposals, while the final day will feature oral presentations of the completed projects, followed by scientific and technical evaluation conducted by IPTICAR experts, culminating in final recommendations to enhance the participants’ readiness for competing in European research programs.