The second TESI Conference, succeeding the inaugural edition in September 2019, took place in the City of Culture, Tunis, Tunisia on 18 October 2023.
The high-level forum was opened by Ms. Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General of DG RTD, H.E. Mr. Marcus Cornaro, EU Ambassador to Tunisia, Professor Moncef Boukthir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Tunisia and Ms. Samia Charfi, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Tunisia.
In the space of three sessions, participants assessed the past two decades of cooperation by addressing various initiatives across of the EU R&I flagship programmes and highlighted some success stories. Project leaders gave testimonials on output and achievements of projects funded through Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Mobidoc and the Cross Border Cooperation (CBC). Specifically, Tunisia’s participation in the EU’s Framework Programmes and the common ambition to develop future R&I collaborations under Horizon Europe were underlined.
Participants exchanged knowledge regarding challenges facing the education system as well as research funding and cooperation in terms of mobility, financial management and budgetary matters. Then, they explored the available resources to stimulate digital capacity-building in the higher education sector and cross-border research in support of the socio-economic environment. To this end, the EU and Tunisia signed an inter-ministerial cooperation agreement for the ARESSE project with an €11 million budget.
Additionally, both sides discussed synergies between cooperation and national reform projects and accreditation in the national education system. The cross-Mediterranean dialogue showed commitment to an inclusive S&T cooperation approach that is open to various economic players, which will play a fundamental role in addressing common global and societal challenges.
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- Publication date
- 24 October 2023
- Author
- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation