Algeria has announced the names of universities awarded the ‘Study in Algeria’ label, which aims at creating competitiveness between national universities to improve assorted services for the benefit of foreign students to promote Algeria as a higher education destination.
The award ceremony during which the ‘Study in Algeria’ label was awarded to the first 15 university establishments meeting the educational and service criteria to welcome international students was held at the headquarters of the ministry of higher education and scientific research (MHESR) in November, which the MHESR announced in a media release posted on their Facebook page.
Rachid Hamdi, the director of cooperation and university exchange at the ministry of higher education and scientific research, was quoted as saying at the award ceremony that the initiative was created by the ministry in 2022 to make Algeria the top destination for international students in the region by 2029.
“In this first edition of the ‘Study in Algeria’ label, nearly 75% of educational institutions and university residences obtained this recognition.
“This success is a testament to the commitment of Algerian universities to welcoming international students,” said Hamdi.
The 15 universities that received the label ‘Study in Algeria, One Star’, are the universities of El Oued, Boumerdès, Mostaganem, Khemis Miliana, Laghouat, Bejaia, Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, Blida, Algiers 3, Algiers 1, Science and Technology, Médéa, Algiers 2 and University Center of Tipaza.
The label initiative
The ‘Study in Algeria’ label initiative aims to improve the reception conditions and living environment of international undergraduate and postgraduate students and enhance the visibility of the sector of Algerian higher education and research to promote the destination ‘Algeria’ on the international scene.
Algeria currently hosts 7,851 international students from 62 countries, 48% of them coming from Mauritania, Mali, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara), and Palestine, according to figures posted on the website of the ministry of higher education and scientific research.
Under the ‘Study in Algeria’ label initiative, universities and university residences undergo an evaluation process linked to their management and the training opportunities available in English to attract a maximum of international students. The evaluation process includes examining the procedures and actions for reception, accommodation, administration, registration, social coverage, and language learning.
There is also a set of indicators that focuses on the quality of higher education offered by university establishments in terms of training offered in the English language to attract a diversity of foreign students to Algeria.
The label is only valid for one year to encourage university establishments to continue their efforts to improve the quality of services.
Leading host country
Professor Abdelkader Djeflat, former dean of the faculty of economics at the University of Oran in Algeria, told University World News that by “adopting the ‘Study in Algeria’ label initiative, Algeria signals that it has entered the field of HE competition to close the gap with its competitors in the North Africa region, namely Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt”.
“It is also a way to break away from the domination of the French language, namely, in scientific and technological disciplines,” said Djeflat who is also the founding president of the International Network on Science and Technology for Maghreb Development (Maghtech).
Echoing Djeflat’s views, Professor Bouraoui Seyfallah of the University of Science and Technology in Houari Boumediene, told University World News: “This label, ‘Study in Algeria’, makes it possible, among other things, to improve the attractiveness to international students and to increase the visibility of universities and higher education training schools in Algeria.”
He said the medium-term objective of this action is to make Algeria the leading host country for international students in the region.
Finding staff a challenge
“The first challenge, in my opinion, which could slow down this initiative is the attractiveness of the couple (quality of student life, quality of teaching) as well as the delay in upgrading infrastructure, in particular access to data and to internet in all spaces, including student residences and to the database of articles and scientific journals which will play the role of the switcher of university competitiveness,” Seyfallah noted.
He pointed out that, to face more attractive offers from universities in the North African region, the label must include standards and requirements to guarantee better training in a friendlier environment.
Expanding further, Djeflat said: “The biggest challenge is to find the necessary personnel, both in qualitative and quantitative terms, for teaching all disciplines in English at the local level. One way is to resort massively to Algerian academic diaspora in various outstanding universities in the world.”
The ‘Study in Algeria’ label initiative can be a way for African universities to upgrade facilities and academics for the use of both foreign and local students, Djeflat said.
“The Algerian experience in improving the educational and living services for foreign students could be a good example for universities on the African continent to reverse the tendency for local students’ emigration towards Western universities worldwide,” Seyfallah pointed out.
Source : https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20231211164341299
