The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund for International Development has signed a $12 million loan agreement with the Republic of Tunisia to help finance the construction of a Higher Institute of Technology (ISET) in the northern governorate of Beja.
As part of government's long-term plan to establish one ISET in each of the country's 24 governorates, the aim is to boost the availability of higher education among the region's 316,000-strong population.
Since the 1980s, the government of Tunisia has initiated a number of reforms in the higher education sector, with steps taken to develop curricula relevant to the current job market and accommodate burgeoning enrolment levels.
In addition to new universities, a number of ISETs have been created to provide specialty training in areas such as management, computer technology and industry. So far, 12 such institutes have been successfully set up across the country. The 12 still to be built will contain a new component, a Management Training Center, to address the needs of small and medium-scale enterprises.
The 22,246-square meter Beja institute will be able to accommodate 1,500 students per year, and will contain exhibition halls, an amphitheater, classrooms and laboratories. Fully-equipped support facilities will be built, including two dormitories with the capacity to house 600 students, and a restaurant. All infrastructure will be fitted out with associated computer equipment, didactic materials and furniture.
Upon completion, the project will help spur the growth of small businesses in Beja, and meet the demand for more highly skilled labor. Government also plans in the near future to construct complementary facilities such as a sports complex, which will help diversify and boost the economic potential of the region. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
