The bill amending some articles of Law 73-2000, which pertains to private higher education, was examined during a meeting arranged by the Committee on Education, Vocational Training, and Scientific Research on February 2. This meeting witnessed the participation of representatives from the National Federation of Private Higher Education under UTICA.
At the meeting, the Committee President underscored the primary aim of the new bill is the proposal to secure a 30% quota for unemployed doctoral graduates in the recruitment of faculty by private higher education institutions.
To upgrade educational quality, the bill mandates that all permanent faculty members at private universities must be doctoral graduates.
Ms. Houbeb Ajmi, Vice-President of the National Federation of Private Higher Education, voiced during the meeting that the federation welcomes these initiatives and appreciates the calibre of Tunisian doctoral graduates. Nevertheless, she pointed out that the challenge of integrating unemployed doctoral graduates into the workforce has been a problem for four years. According to Ms. Ajmi, the root issue in hiring doctoral graduates is the mismatch between a large number of research projects and market needs. She also noted that a decline in student enrollment at private higher education institutions further complicates the hiring of doctoral graduates. Ms. Ajmi indicates that hiring permanent staff could be a viable solution.
Moreover, Ms. Ajmi decried the lack of representation for private higher education institutions in the University Council and decision-making processes. She reasoned that excluding private universities from scientific research and research laboratories is unacceptable. She also highlighted ambiguities in the law concerning the grading and ranking in the professional careers of teaching researchers.
Ms. Ajmi reiterated the federation’s request for a survey of unemployed doctoral graduates and their specialities to design training programs that facilitate their integration into the workforce. She cited difficulties in hiring faculty for technical disciplines with high employment potential.
To provide context, the private higher education sector comprises 83 institutions with 40,000 students. This sector, according to federation representatives, is undergoing a reduction in student numbers, particularly among international students who opt for other countries. Further , these institutions are grappling with financial challenges, including rising taxes.
In conclusion, the federation’s representatives believe the proposed bill contradicts the regulations governing private higher education institutions.
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