Blogs

Tunisia has indeed made significant leaps in investment and provision of higher education.  In 2012, spending on higher education accounted for 1.7% of GDP and 4.9% of total government expenditures. According to the Global Education Digest, expenditure per student reached 46.1% of GDP per capita, or US$4,101 (purchasing power parity) in 2010.[1] In addition, the Tunisian government awards grants on a merit-based status.  Students can receive refundable credits from social security funds upon request.

The most important reforms undertaken in higher education in recent years were in engineering studies with the adoption of the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate (BMD) system. A unified curriculum of five years’ duration was created for engineering studies and a preparatory school was established. The BMD system for disciplines other than medicine was introduced in 2006. The objective of BMD reform is to comply with international standards.

Higher education gross enrollment rate reached 34.5% in 2010; 41% for females and 28% for males.[2] From 2011–12, there were 330,541 students, 61% of whom were female. During the same period, 74,133 students obtained their degree.[3] Given that in 1987, only 6% of those aged 19–24 had access to higher education, such indicators convey the significant progress achieved by the higher education system.

Today, there are 195 higher education and research institutions, of which 165 are under the control of the Ministry of Higher Education.[4] By comparison, in 1956, there were only two institutions: Institut National d’Agronomie de Tunis (INAT), which specialized in agricultural disciplines and the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, which specialized in Mediterranean and tropical diseases.[5] There are currently 22,411 teachers, 47.2% of whom are full time.[6]

However, despite these dramatic achievements, higher education continues to face significant challenges.  For example, in 2008, only 37% of students were studying science and technology, while a majority is studying liberal arts.  In addition, no Tunisian university ranks well internationally, with even the best university ranking 6,729 according to the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities.  According to the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) for higher education, which ranks 148 countries, Tunisia ranked only 73rd in higher education, 111th in teacher training, and 113th in research collaboration between universities and industry.[7] Therefore, reforms are needed to improve both internal performance of Tunisian universities (teaching and research) and external efficiency through better employability of students.[8]

Gley Elhadj is the Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy in Tunisia. He is appointed Chairman and CEO of the Tunisian Post Co., to put into action its transformation from an administrative entity to a commercial company and to integrate new technologies into its long-standing traditions. In 1991, he was appointed as Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, to lead the Structural Adjustment programme in this sector. He holds the highest diploma of the Administrative School of Administration.