Higher Education Restructuring Project

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The project aims at making the higher education system more cost effective and responsive to the needs of the country. More specifically it will: i) diversify the higher education system in order to improve the output of a trained technical and managerial labor force; ii) provide incentives to universities to revise curricula to enhance the quality of teaching and learning; and iii) strengthen the planning and managerial capacities of the higher education system. Project components include the creation of a new generation of Higher Institutes of Technology (ISET) which would be geared towards labor market needs. Five ISETS would be developed in the main economic and industrial regions (Tunis, Nabeul, Gabes, Sfax, and Sousse). The ISETS would limit enrollment to 1500 - 1800 students per ISET and use curricula with disciplines related to local industry and service sectors. Another component would create a National Program for University Improvement (PNRU). This program would channel funds towards existing universities with the aim of increasing their internal and external efficiency, allowing resources to be used as an incentive for universities to reform their programs and curricula. Reforms would include: new undergraduate study programs; diversification of streams to increase career options; and improvement of secondary teachers training programs. The last component involves strengthening the planning and managerial capacities of the higher education system.