Tunisia is showing real ambition in how it sees the role of higher education in national development. Through continued investment in universities, employability and entrepreneurship, the government is recognising that higher education has a critical role to play in building a stronger, more innovative and resilient economy.
At NCEE, we have been proud to support this agenda through our partnership work in Tunisia — helping to share international good practice, support institutional development, and recognise progress through the Entrepreneurial University Award.
A major milestone in this journey has been the recognition of three universities — the University of Jendouba, the University of Sousse, and the University of Carthage — with the Award. This builds on the earlier achievement of the University of Manouba, the first university in Tunisia and the first in Africa to receive Entrepreneurial University recognition.
“Entrepreneurial universities don’t just respond to change — they help shape the future of their economies and communities.”
What is particularly exciting is that each of these universities reflects a different dimension of entrepreneurial university development.
The University of Jendouba represents the importance of place-based and inclusive entrepreneurship, rooted in regional development and community impact. Its role as a civic and economic anchor is especially important in a region where universities can make a direct contribution to opportunity, innovation and local resilience. Read the full press release here.
The University of Sousse demonstrates the strength of linking higher education to a dynamic regional economy. With its connections to sectors such as tourism, healthcare and services, Sousse is well placed to support entrepreneurial thinking, employability and stronger engagement between the university and the world of work. Press release will be published shortly.
The University of Carthage occupies a particularly strategic position, with strong potential to contribute at the intersection of research, policy, innovation and international engagement. Its recognition reflects the importance of universities that can connect institutional development with wider national and global opportunity. Read the full press release here.
Together, these achievements reflect the growing maturity and confidence of Tunisia’s entrepreneurial university ecosystem.
Importantly, the Award is not simply a badge of success. Through structured assessment, benchmarking and feedback, it provides a framework for reflection, recognition and future development. In Tunisia, this has meant that participating universities have not only been recognised for what they have achieved, but have also gained valuable insight into where they can continue to strengthen leadership, governance, external engagement, employability and entrepreneurial culture.
The partnership has also supported wider visibility and influence. Award recognition has generated press coverage and positive stories within local communities, helping to raise awareness of the contribution universities can make to economic and social development. In doing so, it has strengthened the profile of the institutions themselves, while also reinforcing the importance of higher education in national transformation.
“Recognition matters — but what matters most is the long-term change it enables within institutions and systems.”
For NCEE, this work reflects a broader international role: supporting universities and systems to develop entrepreneurial capacity through credible frameworks, strategic partnership and practical institutional development. The Entrepreneurial University Award offers an internationally relevant standard, but it is the partnership around it — the exchange of practice, the mentoring, the institutional dialogue — that creates lasting impact.
That impact will continue. Through the Global Alliance for Entrepreneurial Universities and its communities of practice, participating universities are now connected to an international platform for ongoing learning, exchange and collaboration.
Tunisia’s progress is a powerful example of what can be achieved when government ambition, institutional leadership and international partnership come together — and of how universities can help shape not only graduates, but the future of a nation.