By the end of this course unit, students will be able to:
• explain the concept and process of digital government transformation;
• act as a Chief Digital Officer to exploit technological opportunities and formulate a digital strategy for a public organisation;
• master government-specific topics such as Open Governance, e-Participation and Government Technologies (GovTech), with a particular focus on artificial intelligence;
• work as a group to suggest and communicate strategic recommendations related to digital government transformation.
This course unit is organised as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) combining online sessions with an intensive one-week stay in Namur. It brings together students and lecturers from six partner European universities: University of Namur, University of Macedonia, Linköping University, University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), University of Tartu and Umeå University.
The programme has four main objectives:
• providing students with an understanding of the concept and process of digital government transformation;
• developing their ability to act as a Chief Digital Officer to exploit technological opportunities and formulate a strategy for public organisations;
• familiarising them with government-specific topics such as Open Governance, e-Participation and Government Technologies;
• developing their ability to work as a group to suggest and communicate strategic recommendations related to digital government transformation.
The course (5 ECTS – 32 hours, of which 12 hours of distance learning and 20 hours face-to-face, plus work outside the class) is taught in English and is structured in two complementary parts.
Online part (six two-hour sessions)
This part covers the theoretical foundations of digital government transformation. Each session is delivered by one of the partner universities:
• Introduction, Digital Strategy & Leadership (University of Namur);
• Digital Government Concept: History, Models and Examples (Linköping University);
• Citizen-Centricity in Public Services (Umeå University);
• Public Data Ecosystems and AI Governance (University of Tartu);
• e-Participation (University of South-Eastern Norway);
• Technologies for Government, with a focus on AI (University of Macedonia).
Face-to-face part (one intensive week in Namur)
This part is devoted to applying the theoretical foundations:
• a group work sprint on a digital government strategy;
• one day of government visits (City of Namur, EU Institutions, Walloon Region);
• two days of interactive research workshops on advanced digital government topics;
• one day of presentations of the strategies at the TRAKK.
Online part (via Teams, 4pm–6pm)
1. Introduction, Digital Strategy & Leadership – University of Namur (16/02)
2. Digital Government Concept: History, Models and Examples – Linköping University (18/02)
3. Citizen-Centricity in Public Services – Umeå University (23/02)
4. Public Data Ecosystems and AI Governance – University of Tartu (25/02)
5. e-Participation – University of South-Eastern Norway (02/03)
6. Technologies for Government, with a focus on AI – University of Macedonia (04/03)
Onsite part (Namur, 15/03 to 19/03)
7. Welcome and group work sprint on a digital government strategy (15/03)
8. Government visits: City of Namur, EU Institutions, Walloon Region (16/03)
9. Interactive research workshops on advanced digital government topics (17/03 and 18/03)
10. Presentations of the strategies at the TRAKK (19/03)
The dates above are those of the 2026-2027 edition.
The main exercise is a group assignment: students act as Chief Digital Officers of a given public organisation and, during a face-to-face sprint, devise a digital transformation strategy for that organisation. This strategy is delivered as a written report and presented orally on the last day of the programme.
Students also take part in interactive research workshops, based on reading and discussing scientific papers with experts in the field, as well as in government visits that feed into their strategic reflection.
The course adopts a mix of teaching methods.
In the online part, classical lectures are used to provide the necessary theories for the students. These theories are supported by scientific papers and by concrete examples of government cases.
In the face-to-face part, students are required to apply the theoretical elements to devise a digital government strategy and act as “Chief Digital Officers” for a given institution. Students gain additional theoretical insights through interactive paper-based research workshops with experts in the field. Finally, students get insights from practice through government visits (City of Namur, EU Institutions, Walloon Region).
The evaluation takes the form of a group digital strategy report for a given public organisation, as well as an oral defence of this strategy on the last day of the face-to-face part of the course (presentation at the TRAKK).
• Lecture slides from the partner universities’ lecturers for each online session;
• A selection of scientific papers on digital government, used during the online sessions and the research workshops;
• Case studies and concrete examples from public administrations.
All materials are made available to students online.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en data science | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité didactique | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité spécialisée | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Standard | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en Sustainable & Digital Management | 1 | 5 | No |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en Sustainable & Digital Management | 2 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité didactique | 2 | 5 | No |
| Master in Business Engineering | Finalité spécialisée en data science | 2 | 5 | No |
| Master in Management | Finalité spécialisée | 2 | 5 | No |