Understanding Economic Knowledge: A Necessity for Shaping the Future
In a world where every figure tells a story and every decision shapes the future, understanding economic knowledge is no longer a choice, but a necessity. It is in this spirit that the Savoirs Éco project held the second edition of its annual event, Parlons Éco, in collaboration with the FERDI, a partner in implementation. This enriching edition questioned and deepened the dialogue between research and public action.
Bringing Together Researchers and Decision-Makers
Researchers, public decision-makers, representatives of civil society, journalists, and technical and financial partners came together to reflect on the dissemination and appropriation of economic knowledge in Tunisia. This 2025 edition took place under the theme: "What can we expect from research to inform public action?" According to the organizers, the event confirmed the central role of knowledge and economic analysis in supporting the development of effective and sustainable public policies, capable of responding to the country's economic, social, and environmental challenges.
Strengthening Public Debate and Capacity Building
Mohamed Heni El Kadri, Director General of Cooperation with the European Union at the Ministry of Economy and Planning, stated that the Savoirs Éco project aims to strengthen public debate and enable better consideration of essential data in the development of public policies. He also recalled that, as part of the capacity-building program, 19 training sessions and study visits were organized, bringing together 2,115 participants, including 65% women, to consolidate the skills of economic knowledge-producing structures (SPSE).
Supporting Economic Knowledge Production and Dissemination
These efforts are fully in line with the central ambition of the Savoirs Éco project: to strengthen economic knowledge-producing structures, whether public analysis institutions, research laboratories and centers, or think tanks from civil society. The project supports these structures by promoting the production, dissemination, and popularization of economic analyses, contributing to an informed public debate on economic and sustainable development issues in Tunisia.
Creating Links Between Researchers and Decision-Makers
It is essential to create links between researchers and decision-makers. The ecosystem is not built spontaneously: it requires active dialogue and concerted efforts. For its second edition, the project supported 24 SPSE, including 2 government structures, 2 public analysis centers, 2 research laboratories and centers, and 18 think tanks from civil society. The support provided was both technical and financial, with assistance missions carried out for the benefit of the MEP, MESRS, ITCEQ, and INS, while grants were awarded to civil society think tanks.
Consolidating the Ecosystem of Knowledge
The project, with a budget of 4.5 million euros, began in February 2023 and will continue until August 2026. In the same spirit of consolidating the knowledge ecosystem, the project also supports research in social sciences and economics. The Forum of Applied Social Sciences (FSSA) and the Global Development Network (GDN) have finalized the Doing Research Assessment report, a first in Tunisia and the MENA region, which provides an in-depth diagnosis of the national research system in social sciences and economics.
Launching the EcoTous Platform
To strengthen the dissemination of knowledge to the general public, the project officially launched the EcoTous platform, dedicated to popularizing economic and sustainable development issues in Tunisia, an initiative implemented by the IACE and IADH.
Connecting Research and Public Action
For Soukeina Bouraoui, President of the CAWTAR Center, it is essential to integrate a gender approach into the production and use of knowledge to promote truly inclusive public policies. She recalls the major role played by CAWTAR in advancing financial inclusion in Tunisia. Since 2015, the center has carried out a pioneering study on mobile banking, which has become a reference for the development of the national financial inclusion strategy led by the Central Bank of Tunisia.
Advocacy and Public Policy
Soukeina Bouraoui emphasizes that advocacy is the essential link between knowledge production and the implementation of effective public policies. According to her, public policies in favor of women can only succeed if they are based on the active participation, co-construction, and critical adherence of citizens. This permanent interaction between knowledge, mobilization, and public decision-making conditions the relevance and impact of reforms.
Partnership with the ITCEQ
When it comes to economic analysis in Tunisia, the Tunisian Institute of Competitiveness and Quantitative Studies (ITCEQ) is a reference institution, said Alexis Ghosn, Savoirs Éco project manager. He specified that the partnership between the Institute and Savoirs Éco has allowed for the gradual consolidation of evidence-based evaluation within public policies. "The project has also led to the co-construction of a practical guide, available on the Institute's website, dedicated to the evaluation of public policies," he explained, adding that this document perfectly illustrates the quality of the collaboration and the shared ambition of the two institutions.
Conclusion
The Savoirs Éco project, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, aims to strengthen the capacities of economic knowledge-producing structures in Tunisia, in order to promote an inclusive and informed public debate on economic and sustainable development issues. With a budget of 4.5 million euros, the project began in February 2023 and will continue until August 2026. Its partners express the wish to see similar initiatives emerge in other countries in the region, in North Africa and the Middle East, in order to extend this dynamic of production and dissemination of economic knowledge at the regional level.
