Parliament approves budget for Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

The Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) endorsed the 2024 budget for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research during a plenary session held on Monday, with 123 votes in favour, 6 against, and 11 abstentions. The budget allocation for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in 2024 is set at TND 2,277.238 million, reflecting a 5.8% increase from TND 2,153.250 million in 2023. Making 3.81% of the total state budget, the allocated funds are distributed as follows: TND 1,575 million for salary expenses, TND 1,513 million for operational costs, TND 238,000 for interventions, and TND 310,000 for investments, according to a report from the Committee on Education, Vocational Training, and Scientific Research. Minister of Higher Education Moncef Boukthir, addressing the Parliament, announced plans to recruit 920 PhD candidates in 2024, with 800 being recruited by the Ministry of Higher Education. Emphasising the Department's commitment to enhancing the employability of high er education graduates, Minister Boukthir unveiled the initiation of a collaborative construction methodology. This approach involves the collaboration of university professors and industry professionals to identify projects streamlining the employment of a maximum number of graduates. Minister Boukthir further highlighted the notable improvement in the global rankings of Tunisian higher education institutions. This positive trend is attributed to ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing quality, compliance with international standards, and the requirement of accreditation processes in research, training quality, and academic mentoring. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse