World Bank Approves $100 Million Financing to Enhance Higher Education Quality and Improve Student Employability in Tunisia
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million financing package aimed at strengthening the quality of higher education and improving the employability of students in Tunisia. The project, dubbed RESPIRE (Strengthening Higher Education for Innovation, Resilience, and Employability), seeks to equip young people with the necessary skills to meet the demands of the labor market, while modernizing university governance.
This financing is part of a reform dynamic aimed at aligning Tunisian higher education with the needs of productive sectors.
It is worth noting that the RESPIRE project is based on two main axes. The first concerns the improvement of study programs through their modernization and adaptation to the requirements of in-demand sectors. This includes the renovation of university campuses and the development of partnerships with employers to facilitate the professional integration of students. The second axis aims to strengthen university governance by improving the management of institutions, accelerating their digital transition, and establishing quality assurance systems.
This project builds on the achievements of the PromESsE program (Higher Education Project for Employability), which was completed in December 2024. The program enabled over 22,000 students to benefit from new degree programs and certifications, as well as the opening of career centers. It also contributed to the international accreditation of several Tunisian medical and engineering schools. RESPIRE aims to go further by accrediting 85 new programs and supporting 145,000 students and teachers by 2030.
