Presidential candidates spell out some HE priorities

The quality of university education, graduate employment, digitalisation, university services, the salaries of university lecturers, stipends for students and the budget allocation to the higher education sector are some of the topics that candidates have focused on during their campaigning ahead of Algeria’s presidential elections on 7 September.

The three candidates who are running for the presidency are the incumbent president Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is the only independent candidate in the political contest and has been in power since December 2019; Youcef Aouchiche, the presidential candidate of the Socialist Forces Front; and Hassani Cherif, the presidential candidate of the Movement of Society for Peace.

Tebboune’s electoral programme

Tebboune’s attempt to get re-elected builds on a programme titled, For a Victorious Algeria, which includes higher education priorities.

The programme includes measures to ensure high-quality higher education to meet Algeria’s needs for scientific expertise, support for the economic role of universities, encouragement for scientific and sports training, and a revision of vocational training programmes with new specialisations such as desalination, railways, strategic projects and renewable energies. It proposes introducing a specialised institution for cybersecurity starting in the 2024-25 academic year.

In addition to focusing on job creation for the youth, in particular graduates from universities and vocational training institutions, the programme also aims to advance digital transition projects to increase internet connectivity, the launch of new multipurpose satellites, and the training of Algerian youths in space sciences and cybersecurity.

Cherif’s electoral programme

Speaking at a public rally at the Mohamed Laid Al Khalifa Cultural Palace, Hassani Cherif said that his programme “prioritises investment in human resources” to be more effective in serving the nation.

He added that this required a “real and deep reform of education at all levels, which is the key to the development of nations, along with reforming the vocational training system and scientific research”.

According to him, his programme gives teachers and educators the place they deserve, committing to “revise the laws of the national education and higher education sectors, bolster the specific statuses of teachers and sector workers and raise their salaries to match those of senior executives – so as to enable them to fully play their role in educating future generations”.

Cherif also said that he will work “to implement a more developed educational system that values each field of study and gives university students the place they deserve”.

He underscored his commitment to “reform university services and strike a balance between pedagogical reform and the reform of university services”.

Aouchiche’s electoral programme

Aouchiche’s programme includes measures to benefit the education, higher education, and health sectors, with a commitment to increase their budgets by at least 50% for each sector, especially for education.

He also proposes converting the National University Services Office into a public economic institution, enhancing its development and ensuring its independence.

Additionally, he plans to increase the university student stipend to 20,000 Algerian dinars (about US$149) per month as part of the guaranteed minimum income, and to integrate all holders of masters and doctorates into the higher education sector without restrictions.

Regarding culture and identity, Aouchiche wants to pass a law to establish official recognition of the Amazigh language as a component of national identity. He plans to set up an Amazigh language academy and make Amazigh language education a mandatory subject.

What do the experts say?

Dr Hana Saada, a lecturer at Algiers 1 University Benyoucef Benkhedda, told University World News that the candidates’ higher education priorities reflect a “necessary focus on reform, digitalisation, and job creation”.

“I find the emphasis on improving the quality of university education and vocational training particularly important, as it aligns with global trends,” she said.

“However, I believe more urgent attention should be given to fostering innovation ecosystems within universities and addressing the gaps in research funding.

“Strengthening partnerships between academia and industry is critical for Algeria’s economic diversification and technological advancement,” Saada noted.

“Additionally, a holistic approach to faculty development and student welfare will be essential in maintaining sustainable growth in the higher education sector.”

Expanding further, Sadallah Boubaker-Khaled, professor of mathematics at the Algiers Ecole Normale Supérieure in Algeria, told University World News there is “a firm belief among all successive governments since independence in 1962 of the significance of higher education as a tool for sustainable development and no one can ever deviate from it.

“Therefore, I am reassured on this aspect, whatever the outcome of the presidential elections,” Boubaker-Khaled added.

According to him, governments have been neglecting the quality of education. “Therefore, it seems to me that the time has come for the new Algerian ruler to seriously consider the quality of training at all levels of education,” Boubaker-Khaled said.

Algeria ranks 111th out of 154 countries in the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2021, which measures knowledge performance worldwide, using seven main sectoral indices, including higher education alongside research, development and innovation.