University of El Oued concludes the third in-person meeting of Algerian and Tunisian border universities
Today, December 12, 2023, the third in-person meeting of Algerian and Tunisian border universities concluded at the University of Martyr Hamou Lakhdar - El Oued - within the framework of the 5 + 5 agreement concluded between the two parties.
The meeting on the second day brought together the coordinator of Algerian universities, Professor Omar Farhati (Director of El Oued University), the directors of the universities of Souk Ahras, Tebessa, Annaba and El Tarf, and the presidents of Tunisian universities, namely the coordinator of Tunisian universities, Professor Kamal Abdel Rahim (President of Gabes University), the presidents of the universities of Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan and Sfax, and the member of the National Committee for Monitoring International Twinning Agreements, Director of the Higher School of Saharan Agriculture, Professor Habib Qaddah.
The Director of Al Wadi University thanked the participants in this joint scientific event and the success it achieved, wishing them success in their work.
The participants in the meeting discussed the previous bilateral programmes that were implemented in the short term, which were achieved and appreciated, including the International Doctoral Forum with its workshops and competitions, and the activation of the digital platform by integrating researchers and laboratories and a series of remote laboratory heads’ meetings.
The attendees agreed to schedule the fourth joint in-person meeting in the near future at the University of Gafsa during the month of April or May 2024 and to announce the digital platform.
Conducting an awareness campaign and supporting it for the officials of research laboratory structures and professors through open registration for all professors and research laboratories. This will be done in two stages: the first is filling in the personal data of the professor or research laboratory, and the second is its approval by the university’s vice-president.
The attendees also recommended activating the localization of the platform on the websites of 5+5 universities and activating the window for advertisements and scientific demonstrations on the platform and translating it in order to increase its readability and visibility after completing the registration of the largest possible number of professors and research laboratories.
The two parties also proposed benefiting from experts specializing in writing international projects by accompanying some universities that are preparing projects to be submitted during 2024 and programming training courses in writing international projects through regional groups in addition to programming similar joint training offers on the three major axes agreed upon by representatives of research laboratories: sustainable development and community issues - health, environment and agriculture - renewable energies and emerging technology.
Within the framework of the exchange of professors, the two parties agreed to allocate positions for professors within the framework of a professor invited by the partner universities. In the medium term, the attendees recommended organizing training courses on how to create international projects and submitting a proposal for training offers for cooperation between universities in similar projects in order to certify a joint diploma and propose a joint project in each university where joint projects will be supported, such as the University of El Tarf and the University of Kairouan in the field of artificial intelligence and the Universities of Annaba, Sfax, Jendouba and Kairouan in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics and the University of Souk Ahras and the University of Jendouba in the field of environment, applied chemistry, veterinary medicine and ecological agriculture and the University of El Oued and the University of Gabes in the field of mathematics and the University of Tebessa and the University of Sfax in the field of artificial intelligence and the University of El Oued and the University of Gafsa in the field of electrical engineering and organizing meetings for border universities with support for joint forums.
The participants also proposed organizing the following forums: a scientific demonstration on incubators and innovative projects at the University of Tebessa in December 2024, an international forum on water resources and climate at the University of Annaba in June 2024, an international forum on sustainable development at the University of Souk Ahras in October 2024, and an international forum on agriculture at the Higher School of Desert Agriculture in El Oued in November 2024. And an international multidisciplinary forum at the University of Gabes in April 2024 An international conference on chemistry at the University of Kairouan in April 2024, in addition to allocating places for Algerian and Tunisian universities 5+5 and the University of Sirte at the university exhibition in Sfax in July 2024.
As for cultural activities, the attending parties recommended organizing an international table tennis festival at the University of El Tarf in March 2024, a half marathon at the University of Souk Ahras in February 2024, and a student creativity festival at the University of Kairouan in April 2024.
In the long term, the participants recommended designating and allocating funding for distinguished joint projects by the two countries, renewing the call for proposals to open joint laboratories (LABEX), working to generalize international certification and accreditation at the level of partner universities, directing the forums to partner universities, supporting joint registration for doctoral students, re-discussing registration in exchange for studying the request of Sirte University - Libya for the 5+5 group in the short term, involving other Libyan universities in the long term, urging directors and deans to involve the 5+5 group universities in the forums, integrating cultural and sports activities, and programming a special network to work on developing the internal and external classification of universities.
At the end of the work, honors were exchanged and medals were presented between the Algerian and Tunisian universities. The Director of El Oued University presented honors to the directors and presidents of the participating Algerian and Tunisian universities. The Director of Souk Haras University presented medals to the presidents of the Tunisian universities. Professor Kamal Abdel Rahim, President of Gabes University and Coordinator of the participating Tunisian universities, presented honors to the directors of the Algerian universities. Professor Taha Qarfal, President of Kairouan University, presented honors to the directors of the Algerian universities. On this occasion, the University Director was honored by the General Secretariat of the University of El Oued on the occasion of El Oued University obtaining first place nationally in the “Study in Algeria” badge.
