‘American-style’ university planned near Tunis

An ‘American-style' university campus near Tunis is being planned under a Tunisian-French partnership. The 40-hectare Cité du Savoir – City of Knowledge – will teach students skills to meet the needs of the Tunisian economy and businesses operating in different sectors, reported La Presse of Tunis.

In line with international standards, the institution would be constructed to provide students with similar conditions to those of European or American universities.

The announcement was made in April during a visit to Dauphine University in Paris, France, by Mehdi Jomaa, Tunisia’s provisional prime minister, according to La Presse.

Dauphine has a small campus in Tunis, and the founder and partner of Dauphine-Tunisie, Mohamed Ali Mabrouk, said his Groupe Mabrouk had chosen to invest in the knowledge economy in Tunisia through professional and scientific education, to help businesses improve their competitiveness.

The group wanted to attain a new stage of development in the university sector in Tunis by creating an American-style university campus a few kilometres from the capital, he said.

The Cité du Savoir would offer specialisations useful for the national economy and business. It would be equipped with libraries, laboratories, a sports complex and a hotel for visiting academics, reported La Presse.

Mabrouk said the institution would be open to all students in the Maghreb, and those from African and Arab countries.

Construction was planned to start by the beginning of 2015, and the student roll would number about 2,000, said La Presse.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.